Rent-A-Life: NO BETA
by AMWalsh
Summary: "You should just hire some chick to pretend to date you for family so mom will get off your back." Emmett's booming laugh filled the air. "How much would you pay someone for something like that? Would it be a salary thing or on an as needed basis like per date?" Edward asked. Edward hires Bella to be his fake girlfriend to get his meddling mother off of his back. NO BETA BE WARNED
1. Chapter 1

Rent-A-Life

"Edward, I'd like you to meet Martha's daughter Sarah," Esme introduced her single son to one of her good friend's daughters.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, if you'll excuse me I have a call I need to take," Edward quickly fled the dinner party he now knows was another attempt from his mother to set him up with another eligible young woman. He knew that Sharon or Sarah whatever the young woman's name was, she was most likely a wonderful person. However Edward was not in the market for dating. Edward was in the market for his career, his friends and most of all his love of the outdoors. He did not want to date right now. He was not ready to settle down and get married and fulfill his mother's dreams of the perfect nuclear family.

"You didn't have to be so rude, you didn't give the poor girl a chance to even respond," Edward's Brother Emmett the golden child in his parent's eye was your average all American. Emmett was the high school football coach at Forks High School and also worked part time as a personal trainer for extra money. He was happy with his suburban house, his blonde wife and his two point five kids. Esme and Carlisle Cullen were constantly trying to push Edward towards the nuclear life that his brother had chosen.

"I don't have time for this Em, you knew she was coming, why didn't you warn me at least then I could have been prepared or had an out instead of just fleeing?" Edward responds to his brother.

"I didn't have a hand in this one I was more surprised than you I swear," Emmett couldn't keep the booming laugh that erupted from his mouth.

"It's not that fucking funny" Edward declared glaring at his brother.

"No it's not that I was just thinking of something," Edward glared at his brother and threw his arms up in the air gesturing for his brother to share his hysterical thoughts.

"Never mind it's dumb sorry, sorry so you want to grab a bear or head to the diner for some pie" Emmett asked.

"A beer sounds great about now, what'd you tell mom?" Edward asked.

"I didn't have to make up an excuse I just told her I was going to smooth things over with you. She knew she was wrong for setting you up again and putting that poor girl through one of your evenings. I don't think Sarah was impressed with you anyway." Again Emmett let out a belly shaking laugh.

"What is so fucking funny now? I think Rose should have you committed the voices in your head are getting to you" Edward snarled at his brother.

"It's a dumb idea but I was thinking you should just hire some chick to pretend to date you for family shit and dinner so mom will get off your back." Emmett laughed again hitting his knee and turning red.

Edward on the other hand didn't find it quite as funny as his brother did. He took a moment to sit back and give his brother's idea some serious thought. As the two brothers drove to the diner in search of pie and beer Emmett jabbered on about his kids and their numerous accomplishments or funny things they said. Edward absorbed all of the information and smiled when it was appropriate and asked the questions any doting uncle would ask. He loved his nieces and nephews immensely; he just had no desire to have any of his own. Sure he could babysit and change a diaper or two on occasion but the nuclear life wasn't for him. He thought himself too much of a workaholic or selfish man to consider placing the wants and needs of a wife and kids before his own. But the thought of his mother setting him up with another dreadful single woman brought his mind back to Emmett's ridiculous idea of paying a woman to pretend to be his girlfriend in order to stifle his mother's matchmaking.

"How much would you pay someone for something like that? Would it be a salary thing or on an ad needed basis like per date?" Edward asked Emmett once they settled in their booth of the town diner.

"Wait what? Are you seriously going to do it?" Emmett asked.

"I don't know, I'm not sure yet I need more information. Where would I even find someone that I would even remotely consider bringing home to mom and what kind of woman would agree to do that sort of thing. I can't possible bring a hooker home especially around the kids." "You are on the wrong side of town if you're looking for Hookers," the waitress said as she smiled brightly at Emmett and set down their menus. Edward nearly choked on the air in his lungs as he glanced up to the woman now engaging in a casual conversation with his brother.

"Ed's not looking for sex he can get that anywhere, it's a Cullen curse being hounded by countless women trying to challenge our stamina" Emmett laughed when the waitress swatted his arm and joined in his laughter.

"Yes you Cullen men did have quite a reputation in high school I hear Rose has you on lock and key now so it's all up to the little Tony here to carry on the torch," the waitress winked at the men as she stepped away to get their pie and beer.

"Who the hell was that?" Edward asked his still amused brother watching the waitress' rear as it disappeared behind the diner counter.

"Bella Swan the chief's daughter, you remember her she was your Bio partner junior year," Edward thought back to high school and he remembered her. She was a nice kid back then and Edward was more than surprised when after only three months of school she had to start missing school and her stomach started growing. She was the talk of the town for a few months. The town was in a stir trying to figure out why the Chief's daughter moved back to Forks after living with her mother since her parent's divorce. It was clear the girl got pregnant and her mother sent her to live with her father. Though in high school Bella didn't seem the type of girl who would go out and party and get pregnant. She was a bookworm and kept to herself. Edward remembered feeling sorry for her once her baby was born. He never saw her at any parties or football games. He knew that she worked at Mike Newton's dad's sporting goods store. Other than that she was home with her baby. Edward remembered their graduation day where Bella walked across the stage he looked in the audience to the Chief holding up a small boy with brown hair clapping his hands wildly. The kid couldn't have been more than a year or so old. After graduating and going off to college Edward never gave the girl another thought or her son. He assumed she continued on with her life and found a nuclear life much like the rest of the town of Forks.

"She just moved back in with the Chief when he went on medical leave. Dad doesn't seem too hopeful, they are organizing some charity even at the station to help pay for the medical bills." Emmett cut through Edward's thoughts.

"Who's sick?" Edward asked not following the conversation.

"The Chief of police, he is out on medical leave with lung cancer or something," Emmett responded.

"Here you go guys. Let me know if you need anything else. It's good to see you again Tony, I'm sure the hospital is happy to have another Dr. Cullen." Bella gave Emmett a bright smile and turned a shy smile to Edward before turning away.

"Edward, its Edward now, no more Tony." Edward spoke loudly.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't know. I guess we all have to grow up sooner or later," Bella smiled again and turned away.

"Its fine, some of us grew up a lot quicker than others." Edward knew as soon as the words were out of his mouth that she would assume he was referring to her teenage pregnancy and not his brother's childish behavior.

"Dude that was fucking rude," Emmett kicked Edward in the shin under the table.

"I didn't mean it like that, shit," Edward mumbled taking a bite of his pie. He took a chance and glanced towards the counter where Bella was filling a customer's coffee cup behind the counter. She looked sad. Edward felt like a complete dick for his comment. He vowed to give her a big tip to ease his conscience.

"I think you should ask Bella to be your renta-date" Emmett blurted out through a mouth full of pie.

"What that's ridiculous, she must think I'm an ass and besides she has a kid" Edward squashed the idea immediately.

"There is always Lauren Mallory, I think she just got divorced, something about a tennis coach and some misplaced balls or something," Emmett was known around town for knowing everyone's business. Whether it was from his wife or his mother Emmett always knew who was with who and who was and wasn't faithful.

"Absolutely not, she almost bit my dick off senior year after homecoming," Emmett had pie flying from his mouth across the table at Edwards's remark.

"Gross, shit . . . Em close your mouth when you eat," Edward whipped bits of pie from his side of the table.

"I'm going to go ask her, I'll be right back," Emmett scooted his large six foot seven inch frame from the table and strode across the diner in search of a particular waitress.

"Em … Em … shit," Edward whispered and mumbled as his brother was across the diner in a few seconds. He watched curiously as Emmett made small talk with the waitress at the counter and waited for Bella to return from the kitchen. He cringed when after a few moments of talking with Emmett, Bella's head jerked in the direction of Edward. The look of shock and amusement on her face only made Edward feel more ridiculous.

Emmett returned after a short conversation grinning from ear to ear. Edward watched his brother return to the table. Emmett was grinning from ear to ear looking mischievous. Edward groaned loudly and sunk his long body into the booth regretting immediately trying to discuss anything remotely embarrassing in front of his brother. He should have known better than to include Emmett were he to seriously consider hiring a woman to pretend to date him to get his mother off his back.

"Two hundred an event and nothing physical, you have to pay for all of the dates and if she needs special attire you have to pay for it," Emmett slid into his seat across from Edward. His pie was gone in one quick bite and he chugged his beer.

"I got to go man Rose is going to be back from the Y with the kids in an hour and I still have to take out the trash," Emmett slid a piece of paper across the table to Edward who was sitting there with his mouth hanging open staring dumfounded at his brother.

"Wh-What did you do?" Edward shuddered out.

"Here it's her phone number, what do you think? I asked her if she would pretend to date you if you paid her." Emmett patted his brother on the shoulder and left the diner. Edward did take into account that his brother left him with the bill which wasn't a big deal; it was the fact that he left Edward there to fix this fiasco.

"Would you like another piece of pie Edward?" Bella asked shyly.

"No, do you have a minute?" Edward asked knowing he was going to have to find a way out of this.

"Umm, I get off in a half hour; I don't really have time right this minute to chat." Bella was busy cleaning up and filling salt shakers. She was nervous standing there talking to her grown up crush. Bella knew from the moment she sat next to him in Biology class junior year that he was special. She was new to town and he made her feel welcome. He smiled at her and showed her where her classes were. She felt shy and scared coming to a new school and trying to make new friends. She knew that no matter what she did or how many friends she made that eventually everyone would find out that she was no longer the sweet innocent daughter of the beloved Chief of police. She was a statistic, a teenage girl who ruined her life by letting some boy use her body. She held her head high and went on with her life as her belly grew. Bella didn't listen to the gossip and snickers from the girls and boys at school. Forks is a small town and gossip traveled fast. All she cared about was the baby boy growing inside of her and trying her best not to bring anymore shame to her father in his beloved safe small town. Bella's father Charlie did his best for his daughter. She had to work afterschool until the baby was born to save up money for everything that she would need. The Chief of police didn't make much money but it was enough to live comfortably. Now Bella was an adult with a soon to be 10 year old son who was the spitting image of her father. Charlie, Bella and her son all shared the same brown hair and deep brown eyes. There was no trace of the boy's father in him that Bella could see, or maybe she just didn't want to think of him at all.

"I'll wait outside if you have a few minutes to clear some things up," Edward asked as he paid his bill on the way out.

Bella was behind the counter and handed him his change. "Give me five minutes and I'll be right there."

Five minutes later Bella exited the diner and walked towards her red truck parked across the lot. She glanced from side to side cautiously not sure if Edward had waited to chat with her. She couldn't wait to hear what he had to say about his brother's proposition. It caught her off guard when the bear like Cullen came up to her to ask if she was for rent. She knew that Emmett Cullen was an oversize child and that he was harmless. After hearing his tale of woe about his mother and brother Bella couldn't help but laugh. She didn't understand why Edward simply didn't tell his mother that he was happy single and didn't want to be set up anymore.

Edward jogged over to Bella's truck from his shiny silver Volvo that was parked closer to the entrance. When he got closer to her he became more nervous. He was still not sure how to approach the subject of terminating whatever agreement Emmett had made with this woman. Edward nearly stumbled mid stride when his phone blared Boyz II Men's song Momma through his pocket. He knew it was his mother and groaned when he reach in his trousers to retrieve the modern day leash. Bella spun around a mere two feet from Edward as he held up his finger for her to hold on a moment while he took his phone call.

"Mother," was his response to the light screen pressed against his face.

"Edward, is everything okay? Are you mad with me? Please don't be mad with me sweetheart I only want to see you happy. I know I was a bit presumptuous in inviting Sarah over and maybe after giving it some more thought she might not have been the best choice. I hope you will still come to my Home and Garden's party. It would crush me if you weren't there. You know how long I've worked to get my garden featured and I just couldn't bare it if one of my children was missing from my photo." Esme Cullen knew how to pull at her son's heart strings. She knew how to strike and strike she did. The woman appeared to be a mother hen and a doting grandmother but deep down Edward knew better. He had seen sides of his mother that no child should see. She was ruthless when there was something she wanted. And currently for the past five months what she wanted was Edward settled in a relationship with a nice young woman and on his way to the nuclear life.

"Mom its fine I'm not mad, she just wasn't my type," lies they were all lies he spit out to his mother about the nice woman he had just fled from at dinner. He glanced up at a waiting Bella as she tapped her foot on the asphalt of the parking lot with her hands on her hips. Edward rolled his eyes at the young waitress and turned to finish his call.

"Mom I'll be there you know I wouldn't miss it. I'm so proud of you and your garden. I know how hard you've worked and I can't wait to hang up and autographed copy in my office for all my patients to see. But please not more set ups," He took a quick glance over his shoulder at Bella who was much prettier than he remembered her from high school. She had long dark rich hair. It reminded him of a chocolate and caramel fountain the wait if swayed in the wind. Her cheeks were flush from the cool moist air and her eyes were large and molten. His eyes locked with hers and he felt the heat from them as she glared at him insisting he hurry up she had things to do.

"Mom just let me find my own date ok. I just started seeing someone and I will bring her to your party," Edward saw Bella's eyebrows lift up in shock at his response.

"Oh! I didn't know you were seeing someone. If I had known I would never have set you up with Sarah oh Edward I'm so happy for you. What's her name? Where does she work? How old is she? When do I . . ." Edward interrupted his mother's incessant questions already regretting his next conversation.

"Mom I have to go I love you. I will call you tomorrow," Edward ended the call after a quick I love you from his mother. He turned and started walking towards Bella with determination to get this over with.

"What exactly do I get for two hundred dollars?" Edward felt ridiculous asking her this. He sounded like he was negotiating with a pimp. If he thought about it technically Emmett was her pimp.

"Emmett said you just needed someone go with you to a few family events that were coming up. I didn't know I was going to have to give you anything. I'm not sure about this. I'm sure you can find someone else who is a little more um … experienced with this kind of thing you know," Bella's voice was soft and nervous. Edward felt like an ass already. He knew she was sweet and innocent in high school and clearly having a baby at 16 hadn't changed her shyness. It was odd that she was so nervous with him yet less than an hour before she was joking and smiling with Emmett. Once again Edward was reminded of the differences in his personality and his brother's. Edward was the intimidating one with his tall stature and serious eyes where Emmett was actually taller yet exuded the warmth of an overgrown teddy bear that everyone embraced.

"Pretty much it's just that this is a little more believable than an escort or a hooker. We went to school together and it's a little more believable," His voice was firm and to the point. He felt a twinge of regret at comparing her to an escort and hooker. Edward saw on her face that she also took offense to those words.

"I'm not asking for sex or anything like that just in public we don't have to spend any along time together or anything. I won't intrude on your life".

"Well I should hope not I'm not sure who you think I was or am but I don't just go around sleeping with men especially ones who are paying me," Bella's voice was stronger and full of conviction, it sounded motherly almost. Edward felt a twitch in his gut like his mother was scolding him. He immediately felt for her son if he were to ever misbehave.

"So we have an understanding then, two hundred dollars per date and no sex, no alone stuff just public events," Edward offered Bella his hand to seal the deal.

"And no one knows. I don't want this getting around to my son. As far as anyone other than the two of us and Emmett are concerned we just started dating, it's casual not serious", Bella clarified.

"Agreed," Edward shook her hand firmly noticing how cold her tiny hands were, he felt bad for keeping her waiting out here in the cold.

"Wait what if one of us actually meets someone they want to date for real?" Bella asked concerned.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We could always just break up I guess" Edward didn't like the idea of her dating anyone. He did forget to ask if she currently had a boyfriend or husband. Her finger was bare of any trace of commitment. Emmett must have clarified all of this earlier.

"Do I get a severance package when we break up?" Bella asked jokingly.

"Let's see how well of an actor you are first," Edward gave her his panty soaking grin and the classic Cullen wink. He noticed her lips part and her hand tremble against his side. Yup, he still had it, he hadn't tried to flirt with a woman since college, and usually they just flocked to him. "Is this your e-mail address?"

"Y-Yes," Bella croaked out clearly affected by his grin and wink.

"I'll e-mail you the dates that are coming up. Thank again and mum's the word," Edward turned and jogged off to his car. It appeared that Edward now had a renta-girlfriend.


	2. Chapter 2

Rent-A-Life

Chapter 2

It had been three days since Edward sent Bella the e-mail with the dates he would need her to accompany him to a few family functions. He was constantly checking his blackberry and running his hands through his hair. This was not him. Edward was not the type of guy who sat home waiting for a woman to reply to him. He was the one that waited three days after a date to call or one if there was sex involved. He settled in his lazy-boy recliner, beer in hand flipping through his high school yearbook. He found Bella's picture and stared at it for an unknown amount of time. She was pretty in the girl next door kind of way. Her large brown eyes sparkled with innocence and charm. Edward thought back to junior year Bio and couldn't help how foolish he must have been back then. Edward enjoyed his time in lab with Bella when she would blush and act shy. She made him feel like a man, taking charge. He now knew that she was probably squeamish because of morning sickness. "This is stupid," he said out loud setting his beer on the coffee table. He didn't need this woman to appease his mother. He would just go alone and brood in the corner or stay glued to his I-phone playing angry birds to avoid his mother. Yes that's what he was going to do. It was exactly what he was going to do, but why did Edward find himself sliding into his car and driving towards the town diner in search of a particular brunette waitress?

Edward pulled up in the parking lot and quickly walked inside. He was determined to find out why she had not responded to his e-mail. He wanted answers and he was going to get them. He was a Doctor or medicine, a respected member of the community. Forks General Hospital had offered him quite a hefty salary to move here and join their staff. No small town waitress was going to blow him off. He felt the anger rising through his body as he ignored the hostess and took a seat at the counter. His fingers were fidgeting with the silverware to keep from banging his fists on the counter like a child. He glanced up and down the diner in search of her brown hair and came up with a red head and that god awful purple helmet that Mrs. Andrews has had for nearly 20 years.

"Dr. Cullen, what can I get for you this evening?" A teenage girl behind the counter asked, her name tag said Sara. Edward groaned to himself thinking he should have just started dating the other Sarah because this business with Bella was turning into a headache and they hadn't even been anywhere yet.

"Is Bella here?" Edward asked.

"No, she's at the hospital with her dad, has been for a few days," Sara replied frowning. The hospital, he has been at the hospital for the past three days as well, working of course. Why had he not seen her? Edward heaved himself off of the stool and made his way back to his car without another word to the girl behind the counter.

Edward had once again been consumed by himself and not thought about the others around him. This only went to reinforce one thing that he was already sure of, Edward was too selfish of a person for an actual relationship. This of all reasons was why this arrangement with Bella had to work. He drove to the hospital and parked in his designated parking space right near the entrance. He glanced around in search of that beast of a truck that Bella drove. He caught the top of it across the parking lot nestled between a shiny beamer and a Lexus. He though back to high school and vaguely remembered that she had the exact same truck back then as well. Did she not understand how unsafe that thing was?

"Afternoon Doc," Joe the security guard greeted everyone by Doc weather they had an M.D. behind their name or not. Edward quickly waved a greeting and made his way to the nearest computer to find where Bella's father was. He found it quickly enough and stopped a moment to read over the notes on the screen. Her father was here with complications from his chemo treatment. He had been brought in by Bella late two nights ago around one o'clock in the morning.

He strode through the familiar halls of the hospital determined once again to talk to this woman and get answers. He needed to know if he had to come up with an alternative or if she would still be able to make it to his engagements. Edward knew all to well how much of an ass he was being. He knew that any normal person would be concerned for Bella and her father's health. Any normal person would offer a shoulder to lean on or a ear to listen. But not Edward he was putting his own needs ahead of everyone else's as usual. It wasn't that he was heartless; it was just that if it didn't affect him than he wasn't concerned with it. He was a good doctor and of course his patients affected him so he cared about them but Chief Swan was not his patient. Edward stopped at the Nurse's station on the third floor to check the status of Chief Swan's condition before he sought out Bella.

"Is the Chief's daughter still here?" Edward asked the nurse sitting at the desk.

"Of course she's been here for three days," Edward rolled his eyes at the busty nurse who was leaning over the counter obviously trying her best to flirt with him. He swore when he became a doctor no matter what he would never ever date a nurse or anyone else who worked in whatever hospital he ended up in. This nurse was no exception.

"Thank you," He replied swiftly making his way down the hall towards the Chief's room. Edward stopped outside when he hear voices. He leaned against the wall next to the door and listened for the right moment to knock and ask to speak with Bella.

"Come on Pop you can't cheat. I had a draw four wild you can't just put down whatever you want, it's red," the squeaky voice of Bella's adolescent son echoed from the room.

"This is red Jake, can't you see right here," Edward hear the laughter of the Chief as he tried to doop his grandson in a game of UNO.

"When do you think Mom's gonna come home? I don't like sleeping over at Sam's house, his little sister is annoying," the boy complained and Edward couldn't help smile at the boy's annoyance with his friend's sister. He knew all too well how annoying little sisters could be.

"Jake I'll try and get her to come home tonight. Try and give her a little slack she has a lot on her plate right now. Are you keeping up with your homework and doing your chores?" Charlie asked his grandson.

"I know, she won't let me play football if I get another C. I got honor roll all last year and one C and it's the end of the world." Jake explained. "I know she has a lot to do but can't I just stay here with you guys? I promise not to get in the way and she can take me to school in the morning." Jake pleaded with his grandfather for some alternate solution to his current situation.

Edward pressed himself against the wall as Bella came rushing around the corner on the other side of the door. When she zipped past not noticing Edward standing there her scent wafted through Edward's nostrils filling his lungs with the smell of diner food and a floral smell.

"Mom, you're back. Can we go home today?" Jake asked expectantly.

"Not tonight Jake, Just one more day and they said Pop can come home once he's adjusted to his new meds. Now get your stuff together I'm taking you to Sam's," Edward knew the boy must have been pouting as he heard his stuff shuffling around.

"Did you eat something today?" Charlie asked his daughter as she helped her son gather his homework and video games together.

"I will Dad, don't worry," Charlie knew his daughter hadn't taken more than two minutes for herself since he was brought into the hospital a few days ago.

"Bella you haven't showered or eaten in almost three days. You need to go home tonight. I will be fine here alone. I don't need you to babysit me, that is what the nurses are for," Charlie's voice was raised. Edward remembered that voice all too well from his teens. He remembered hearing that voice scolding him and Emmett along with the rest of the baseball and football team when the guys would get to goofing around and pranking people.

"No! I'm not leaving you here, they will forget about you because you won't tell them when you need something. You will get bed sores or worse." Bella was not going to leave her father in the hands of the bimbo nurses here.

"Young lady . . . "Bella interrupted her father. "Jake, hallway" Jake hefted his bag over his shoulder and dragged his feet across the linoleum floor into the hallway knowing very well that grownups needed to 'TALK'.

"Hey, are you here for my Pop?" The boy turned to stare at Edward who was still standing by the door listening to their family squabble. Edward groaned and felt embarrassed about being caught eavesdropping by a child. He glanced down and noticed that yes, he was still in his scrubs form earlier in the day.

"Not exactly, I'm here to talk to your moth . . ." Edward stopped mid sentence when Bella came out of the room to see who her son was talking to. Bella stopped dead in her tracks looking from Edward to her son confused.

"Are you here for my dad?" Bella asked feeling the heat rise through her neck as she blushed. She was not ready to see Edward. She had not heard anything from him since that day at the diner and had yet to check her e-mail. She hoped that he was not here invading her personal space. She immediately thought that she may have missed her first event and began to panic. She did not want to disappoint Edward and she also could use the money.

"No, I'm here to speak with you when you have a moment, I e-mailed you but it seems you've been a little busy," Edward took the time to notice that Bella was still wearing her uniform from the diner. Her hair was in a messy bun and looked greasy. She had dark circles under eyes and her skin was pale. She looked as if she had been up for days and not eaten or slept for a week.

"Bella! Who's out there?" Charlie bellowed from his room. "Bring them in; is it one of the Doctors?"

"Come on and meet my Pop." Jake took Edward's hand and pulled him into the room where the Chief was straightening his blankets and pillows in order to look more together than he felt.

"Ahh, Dr. Cullen it's good to see you. Are you covering your father's shift or did you just stop in to toilet paper my room?" Charlie joked with the young doctor remembering when he was a teen and Charlie had to call his parents to come get him from the station for toilet papering a few houses along with the rest of the baseball team. Charlie had fond memories of the Cullen brothers; they were good kids just rambunctious boys full of energy and nowhere to use it in the small town of Forks.

"Hi Charlie, I hear you are giving the nurses a hard time and I had to come check it out." Edward felt confident talking to the Chief. Edward knew that the Chief came to all of the games and was good friends with his father. He remembered his father telling him countless stories about the Chief.

"Well a sponge bath would be nice, but I'm more concerned about Bella. Would you tell her she needs to go home and that I'll be find here?" Charlie gave Edward the father glare mixed with the Chief's firm mustache twitch that told Edward to listen or else. Edward took a big gulp now feeling like a stupid kid caught vandalizing private property. He turned to a stunned and sickly looking Bella who had her hands on her hips glaring at her father.

"I'm absolutely fine, now both of you just stop it," Bella may have sounded firm and in charge but when she swayed slightly and reached for the chair to steady herself Jake, Edward and Charlie all knew that she was most certainly not fine.

"Here sit down." Edward flipped his doctor switch and guided Bella to sit in the chair. He pressed his long fingers against her wrist and watched the clock as he counted her pulse. He shushed her when she protested. Bella immediately felt like a small child and obeyed the now authoritative doctor who was kneeling on the ground in front of her chair. Edward took the penlight from his breast pocket and brought his fingers up to steady Bella's face as he took a look in each of her eyes.

"When was the last time you ate?" Edward asked.

"This morning" Bella stated firmly.

"She's lying!" Jake interjected outing his mother.

"Am not." Bella responded narrowing her eyes in warning at her son.

"Are to, you're biting your lip." Jake brought his arms up over his chest and square his small shoulders raising his eyebrows challenging his mother to fib again.

"Fine, I don't remember, But I'm fine I'll eat something once I get Jake to Sam's and I'll come back here and grab something on the way." Bella used the armrests of the chair to stand slowly trying not to sway. Edward automatically reached his arms up to steady her. Bella felt the room spin and everything was fuzzy. Bella reached her small hands up to rest on Edward's forearms to stop from falling over. She glanced up into his stern green eyes. She remembered those eyes from years ago. They made her heart quicken and her knees weak. Now was not the time she needed her knees to feel weak. Bella gently sat down and leaned forward to breathe deeply trying to calm herself.

"Jake, right? Do me a favor go to the nurses' station and tell the nurse to bring Dr. Cullen an orange juice and a pack of cookies." Edward asked the boy who jumped up immediately concern drawn across his face for his mother. Jake smiled at Edward and held up two fingers and wiggled his eyebrows in question.

"Yes two, one for you as well," Edward smiled at the sly boy and returned kneeling in front of Bella once again checking her pulse. She needed to eat something and take better care of herself. Edward huffed in annoyance at this woman who was leaning back in the chair with her eyes closed. It was clear that she was defeated and ready to listen to whatever he was going to advise. Edward intended to take full advantage of his opportunity.

"You're going to drink the juice, eat the cookies, I'm going to take you and Jake back to your place where you will shower, change and eat a decent meal. And only after that will I take you back here to get your truck." Edward spoke with authority and glared at the now stunned Bella. She looked up into his eyes feeling about five years old and nodded in agreement with his request.

"And while we're there we will go over the calendar and clarify some things," Edward added. Bella's eyes flew open and she glared defiantly into Edwards green orbs. Bella did not like being bossed around like a child. Jake returned to Charlie's room carrying two orange juice boxes and two packs of cookies. Edward thanked the boy and pushed the straw into the box of juice. He handed it to Bella and opened the pack of cookies. Bella took a small sip and began nibbling a cookie.

"Thank you son," Charlie said sincerely to Edward. Edward nodded and gave the Chief his best Doctor smile. "Bella would you give Edward and I a moment please?" Charlie asked.

"Sure dad, I'll see you tomorrow. Promise you'll call me if you need anything alright," Bella requested after giving her father a hug and kiss on the forehead.

"Pop you should practice your game, next time there will be no cheating and it's double or nothing," Jake high fived his grandfather and followed his mom into the hall.

"Edward I want to thank you for what you just did for her. She has been here for the past three days nonstop fussing over me. I can't get her to put herself first. She has to take better care of herself if not for her then for Jake. I'm going to be fine. I just need you to make sure she gets home okay. I don't think she has been sleeping." Charlie felt himself ramble on about his worries for his daughter. He saw the same compassion in this young Dr. Cullen that resided in his long time friend Carlisle Cullen.

"Sir it's not a problem I'll make sure she has something substantial to eat and that her and her boy make it home safely. If you need anything don't hesitate to give me a page I'm here almost every day," Edward felt a connection with the Chief of police. He wasn't sure what it was but he was sure that he respected him as a man, a father and a pillar of his small community. Edward wanted this man to think highly of him.

The two men shook hands firmly before Edward departed the room leaving Charlie to finally have some piece to himself and his precious ESPN.

"Let's go," is all Edward said as he strode down the hall towards the elevator. He glanced behind him to make sure that Bella and her son were following. He took a closer look at the boy on the ride down to the main level. Jake was almost as tall as his mother which wasn't saying much, but for a ten year old boy it was quite tall. His face was childlike with soft pudgy cheeks that had dimples girls would go wild for. Jake's arms were long and lanky much like Edward's were when he was that age. His hair was growing out and tucked behind his ears. Jake had an aura that exuded confidence yet he still had the self-consciousness of a child.

The walk to Edward's car was silent as the boy eyes his mother for direction on if he should trust this man. Jake remembered Edward from some of the football games he attended with his Grandfather. He was Emmett Cullen's biggest fan. Jake heard stories from his pop on countless records the older Cullen brother held in high school football. It was Jake's dream to break each and every one of those records in the next 7 years of his life.

"Shot gun," Jake sang when the trio reach Edward's silver Volvo. "M-hm," Bella nodded in agreement, sliding into the backseat.

"Are you living with your dad?" Bella responded quietly. She felt the fatigue taking over her body from lack of sleep.

"Oh, trust me every teenage boy from the past 20 years knows where the Chief of Police's house is," Edward replied laughing with Jake. The ride started smoothly with silence. Jake pressed buttons on the dashboard while Edward turned down the stereo.

"Where do you want to eat kid?" Edward asked Jake. Jake turned in his seat for direction from his now asleep mother.

"She's asleep," Jake pointed his thumb towards the backseat and a mother whose head was pressed against the window. Edward couldn't help but chuckle. "Well then again, where do you want to eat?" Edward asked again.

"Not the diner, anyplace but the diner," Jake was sick of the diner food. He missed his mother's homemade cooking.

"Pizza?" Edward questioned. He knew all kids loved pizza or at least when he was a kid they did.

"Yeah with pepperoni and mushrooms" Jake bounced in his seat at the thought of the greasy treat he was about to receive.

Edward proceeded to stop at the local Italian eatery in town. He and Jake got out and went inside to order their food leaving Bella in the car to rest. Edward ordered the pizza for Jake and a large plate of pasta with sauce, a salad and breadsticks for Bella. He paid the cashier and when the food was ready they made their way to the Chief's home.

Jake jumped out of the car carrying the pizza and his bag. He used his house key to open the door and quickly came back to help with his mother's things.

"She's still asleep. I'm not waking her up you do it," Jake suggested knowing well enough that his mother didn't like to be woken up.

"Here bring the rest in and I'll get her inside," Edward handed the take out bag and Bella's purse to her son. Jake watched as Edward leaned over Bella's sleeping body and unbuckled her seatbelt. Edward slid his arms gently under Bella's knees and behind her shoulders. He squatted down and lifted with his legs cradling Bella against his chest. He rose to a standing position and turned to push the car door closed with his foot and followed Jake towards the house.

Edward cautiously crossed the threshold of the Chief's house and carried Bella into the living room. He set her gently on the sofa where she snuggled into a throw pillow. Edward took the afghan setting on the back of the sofa and covered Bella's petit form. He stared down at her and couldn't help see the teenage girl he so desperately wanted to befriend some 11 years ago.

"Let's eat we can wake her up when we're done," Edward suggested joining Jake in the kitchen for pizza. Jake and Edward sat at the kitchen table and ate pizza and drank iced tea. Jake jabbered on about Emmett and all of his records while Edward responded with his own stories and corrections to small town myths. Apparently Jake was unaware that some of the records he once thought held by Emmett Cullen were in fact held by Edward. Edward was always known as the academic of the two and was shortchanged when it came time to acknowledge athletic achievement. Edward didn't mind usually but for a strange reason he wanted this boy to like him. Edward enjoyed talking sports with Jake. It was different than when he was with his nephews and nieces. Talking with Jake was more like talking with an equal. The boy was obviously mature for his age and had quite an advanced vocabulary for a ten year old.

Bella awoke to the sound of a man's deep laughter coming from her kitchen. Dad she thought as she snuggled into the sofa seeking its warmth. Dads in the hospital, the thought jolted Bella up from the sofa. She quickly shuffled her sock covered feet into the kitchen finding her son laughing at her kitchen table. He was sitting across from a laughing Edward Cullen as they played a game of cards.

"You're up!" Jake squealed as he ran towards his mom burry his face against her chest as he wrapped his arms around her. Bella felt her body relax at the contact with her son. He was here safe and seemed happy. Bella lifted her head from her embrace with her son to glance shyly at the man seated in her kitchen. She was ashamed at her behavior and defiance at the hospital earlier. She knew very well that she was not taking care of herself. She was embarrassed that she had almost fainted and most of all she was mad at herself for almost driving her son in a truck when she was less than well rested.

"Thank you," she mouthed to Edward as her son released her. Jake went to the microwave and retrieved her warm plate of food and set it on the table. Edward offered her his seat and got her a glass of orange juice. Bella was not used to getting pampered or waited on like this. Bella felt her cheeks heat as the blush crept up her body and spread across her neck and into her cheeks.

"It's good to see you up. Please eat all of this. I took the liberty of jotting down the upcoming events, if you have any questions give me a call my cell and beeper are on there," Edward passed her a folded piece of paper.

"Jake it was a pleasure and I'll see what I can do about the autograph," Edward ruffled Jake's hair as he headed for the door.

"Thank you Edward," Bella spoke through a mouth full of spaghetti.

"Consider it a signing bonus," Edward replied.

_**A/N: Reviews are almost as good as a signing bonus from Edward.**_


	3. Chapter 3

Rent-A-Life

Chapter 3

The next morning Edward arrived outside of the Swan residence freshly showered and dressed for work. He ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to dry and tame it. It was useless, what women found appealing about his 'sex hair' Edward found quite annoying that it refused to listen to his tugging demands. He wanted his hair to lay down flat and neat. Last night when he returned to his condo in the newer developed side of town he took another look at his yearbook and came face to face with old memories. Edward's memories of Bella from high school had taken a back seat in his mind. He remembered being annoyed with her when her pregnancy became public. He was almost livid that she of all people would be pregnant at 16. She was the only girl in school that he enjoyed having a conversation with. She was his ideal concept of a girlfriend and the girl he wanted to bring home to his mother and take to prom. Edward rememberd being much more than mad at Bella back then because she had ruined everything. During the first three months of school he had done all of the right things and flirted with her. He got to know her as his mother instilled. He was excited about asking her to the winter dance and it was all ruined. The rest of his junior year Edward remembered avoiding her at all costs. Every time he saw her growing belly it made him begin to hate her even more. Sure he felt sorry for her and her situation. Edward settled for dating other girls in school and found himself mildly entertained and distracted. He listened to the gossip the other girls spat about Bella and her pregnancy. He never once defended her and for that he felt horrible. He was not the man he thought he was back then. Even now he knew he was much different than who he had hoped to be. But having his ideal high school romance ripped from his grasp taught Edward to put himself first and his own needs first. No one else was going to. Edward glanced at the clock now filler with irritation for Bella. He didn't want to take her back to her truck this morning, he wanted nothing to do with her. After he took her to pick up her truck he was decided in cancelling their arrangement.

A light tapping on his car window brought Edward out of his brooding. It was Jake. One look at the boy dissolved Edward's resolve. He liked the kid. It wasn't his fault who his mother happened to be. Jake took the seat in the front once again as Bella slid into the back seat looking much healthier than she did the previous night.

"I had to rush her, she was trying to fix her hair again. It's pointless here there's too much moisture in the air," Jake informed Edward as to why they were a few minutes late. The night before Jake informed Edward that he would need to be here promptly at six thirty in the morning in order to give Bella time to get her truck and take Jake to school. Edward found the boy's bossiness quite amusing and agreed to be on time.

"You would keep your hair shorter if you had my curls," Bella ruffled her son's long straight hair.

"Hey, watching it took me two whole seconds to tuck it behind my ear," Jake joked with his mom.

"Thank you for taking us to get my truck, I really appreciate it," Bella touched Edward's shoulder gently and gave it a squeeze. Edward nodded in the rearview mirror locking eyes with her. Edward felt his chest putter. She was still the innocent sweat girl from his Bio class. She had the same warm friendly brown eyes. He sighed and started towards the hospital. Jake talked Edward's ear off once again about stats of NFL players and MLB players. Edward enjoyed the conversation and liked to hear Jake laugh as he tried to imitate different sports casters. Something Jake said made Edward almost swerve off of the road.

"I'm sorry what did you say?" Edward asked the boy to repeat himself.

"You should see my room back in San Francisco, it looks like a football museum. Mom wouldn't let me bring all my stuff here," Jake shot his mother a pleading look over his shoulder.

"I thought you moved back to Forks." Edward stated glancing in the rearview mirror at Bella. He was a little more than surprised at this new information. He assumed that Bella had never left Forks.

"We didn't move everything, we're just here to help my dad out until he gets better or we can convince him to move to California with us," Bella replied shyly trying to avoid his stare in the mirror. She knew what his next question would be but it didn't come. Edward simply nodded and continued driving to the hospital. Once they arrived Jake took off toward the building and told his mother he was going up to see Charlie before school. Bella walked slowly behind Edward waiting for the question she knew was coming.

"How long will you be here exactly?" Edward asked sternly feeling the anger rise through his body. He didn't remember her mentioning this little piece of information. He wanted to know how she was going to attend all of these events if she was moving back to California. Gone was his determination to sever their agreement he was irritated and once again angry at her for possibly ruining his plans once again.

"I don't know yet, It depends on my dad and if he's willing to move or not. He's stubborn. I don't want to have to sell my house or find a new job that isn't going to pay me nearly as much as my current one," Bella huffed a piece of stray hair from her face as she though about all of the hassle her father was causing her by not just moving to California.

"A month or three months, you have no idea. When were you planning on letting me know?" Edward could feel the venom dripping from his voice as he questioned this girl from his passed.

"We will be here for at least another six months, that's exactly how long my job is willing to hold my position. Thank you for driving us back to the hospital I will see you next Friday unless you have miraculously come up with a girlfriend who can tolerate your mood swings," Bella felt a tiny bit regretful about her tone with Edward but she had not been spoken to like that since her father found out she was pregnant. Never in her life had someone been this mad at her. She couldn't understand why he could be so carefree when he talked with Jake yet and absolute evil man when he conversed with her. Edward Cullen was not the boy she idolized as a teenager, he was bitter arrogant asshole.

"I'll pick you up at four thirty and try to be on time," Edward turned on his heel and walked towards his car. He had another hour before he had to report for work and he couldn't bear to be in the same building as that woman. Bella glared at Edward's form as he stomped away. She let out a mix between a snarl and a growl in response to his exit. Her arms were rigid and straight by her sides while her fists were drawn in tight and shaking. She wanted to punch him in his too straight nose and his stupid strong chin.

Charlie came home that day and the Swan house was once again back to normal. Bella resumed her daily routine and tried to avoid thinking about her upcoming evening with Edward and concentrated on the $200 she would be receiving. It was no help that Jake chatted about Edward and Emmett nonstop. It was clear to Bella that her son was start struck at being somehow connected to two town legends. Charlie shared Jake's fondness for the Cullen family and did not do much in helping Bella avoid all thoughts of Edward Cullen. On Wednesday, she was almost through an entire day with out hearing that awful name when there it was at the diner.

"Just picking up pie Edward no actual food today?" Sarah asked from behind the register. Bella's head snapped up and immediately regretting it. Edward stood there in his scrubs with his sex hair leaning on the counter smiling at the young hostess. Bell felt a twinge of jealousy, she was once a young girl receiving of that crooked grin. She turned quickly to avoid his gaze as he turned towards her direction. Bella filled coffee for the mailman seated in her section and cleared the table of a now empty booth. It took all of her will power not to stride over to him and give him a piece of her mind. She wanted an apology for how he talked to her. She knew she would never get an 'I'm sorry' out of Edward Cullen's mouth. Bella went through the rest of her week without another run in with Edward. After cooking a lasagna for Charlie and Jake Friday afternoon she locked herself in her room to pluck, tweeze, wax and scrub every inch of her body. Bella wanted to feel like a million bucks if she was going to have to endure an evening pretending to date Edward. By four o'clock her hair was tame and fell in loose waves down her back. She chose a flowing dress that swayed when she walked. It was her princess dress. Bella twirled in the full length mirror and admired the fabric as it spun around. The dress was a powder blue with baby doll sleeves and neckline. It was snug across her chest but didn't show any cleavage. She grabbed her white sweater and slipped on her silver flats. One quick look in the mirror to dab on some lip gloss and she was ready. Bella was never one for make-up and felt relieved at not having to fuss with mascara, thankfully she had inherited her father's long lashes.

"Midnight Jake, and Dad please no gore you know he still gets nightmares," Bella kissed Jake on the top of his head and Charlie on the cheek as she grabbed her purse and keys.

"What time will you be back?" Charlie asked through a mouthful of chips.

""I'm not sure, but I can't see it being too late. Call me if you need me I can be home in less than ten minutes," Bella gave her father her mother glare to stress the importance of her statement. She did not want her father to hesitate if he needed her.

"Try and have fun tonight have a drink or two let loose," Charlie raised his beer and tipped it towards Bella as she closed the door behind her.

Bella stood near the curb by the street and waited for Edward. She took a glance at her watch and saw that he still had five minutes before he would be here. Bella took out her phone and proceeded to bring up her nook app and read a book while waiting. She wasn't sure how long she stood there reading. Her head popped up when she hear a car approaching. It was Edward's shiny Volvo. Bella stepped away from the street as his car pulled up. She did not wait for him to open the door. Bella slid into the passenger seat and folded her hands gently on her lap. She did not look at Edward and certainly did not speak to him.

"Well hello to you too," Edward broke the silence as he drove towards his parents home.

"What time will I be home?" Bella asked quietly.

"I don't know a few hours. I've never done one of these things before. They're going to take a bunch of pictures of the house and my mother's garden and then she's having a dinner party," Edward knew all too well that his mother's dinner parties could carry on long into the night depending on how many scotches his father had and if Emmett had the kids with him or not.

"I would like to be home before midnight," Bella stated still giving Edward the cold shoulder.

"What do you turn into a pumpkin?" Edward laughed at his joke noticing that Bella was not lightening up. He sighed in defeat. He had to at least try to be nice to her in case she was an awful actress and couldn't pretend to like him for one evening.

"We're almost there, are you going to be able to knock the chip off your shoulder long enough to act like you enjoy my company or are we pretending to be in a lovers spat, my mother would have a field day with that," Edward could only imagine his mother immediately taking Bella's side no matter what the situation. He had witnessed more than one of Emmett and Rose's arguments where his mother smacked Emmett on the back of the head. Edward reached his hand up to rub the back of his neck feeling the sting as if it had happened to him.

"Only in the presence of your family will I act anything other than cordial to you," Bella turned her head to stare out the window as the car pulled up the long drive way.

"So this is you being cordial then." Edward stated. Edward parked the car and noticed quite a few vans and extra cars scattered down the drive way. He knew there were a ton of people here and he was not looking forward to this evening. Edward started to walk towards the house and turned back to see where Bella had gone. She was still sitting in the car. Edward rolled his eyes and trudged back over to his car to open the door for the princess. That is what he decided she was, a spoiled little princess who let daddy take care of her and all of her mistakes.

"My Lady," Edward offered Bella his arm as she exited the car gracefully.

"Thank you," Bella replied giving him her best smile. Edward thought for a moment that possible the night could not be a complete disaster. As soon as Edward knocked on the door he could hear the commotion from inside.

The door swung open and there stood is father in a stiff suit with a tie hanging loosely around his neck and scotch in one hand. Bella and Edward entered the foyer slowly expecting a stampeed. They were met with strangers walking back and forth with strange equipment talking to each other.

"Your mother's in the kitchen, I'll be in my study, don't bother be unless someone needs surgery, Bella always a pleasure excuse my behavior but my house is overrun with bossy women and a hysterical wife," Dr. Carlisle Cullen lifted Bella's small hand to his lips and gently kissed it before patting his son on the shoulder and retreating to his study. Bella giggled lightly and smiled shyly at Dr. Cullen. She had always found him to be debonair and handsome. He was quite an attractive man and she was more than mortified when she found out that he would be delivering her baby all those years ago. She watched him as he walked towards his study. Edward and his father shared the same strong lean stature. It was a shame that Edward no longer had his father's charisma.

"To the kitchen then," Edward directed Bella by the small of her back towards the kitchen. His hand felt tingly at touching the soft light fabric of her dress. She did look nice this evening. If this was a real date he would have told her so but it was not. In the kitchen Edward stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of his mother. She was frantic, arms flying here and there directing Rose and his sister Alice on where to put things and how to arrange them. His mother had a towel around her neck with makeup smudges and crisp white paper poking out. Her hair was in rollers and there was a very flamboyant man standing next to her trying to apply some sort of cream to her face but her flailing arms were stopping him.

Esme's demeanor quickly calmed as she noticed her younger son enter the kitchen with a woman by his side. She knew this woman and a broad smile spread across her face as she realized that this must be his date or the woman he had claimed to have been seeing. Esme shuffled her slippered feet across the tile floor to embrace her son.

"Oh sweetheart you're here and you brought her, how wonderful," Esme released her son form her embrace and quickly pulled Bella into a tight hug and whispered into her ear, "Oh, I'm so happy it's you dear."

Bella melted into Esme's embrace and wrapped her arms around the motherly woman she knew and loved from her years in Forks. Esma was the epitome of motherly love. When Bella was pregnant she would ask Esme every question she had about babies and call her constantly after Jake was born for advice and direction on what to do and how to handle different things.

"Thank you for inviting me, you must be so excited about the magazine, I always admired your gardens," Bella smiled shyly as Esme held her head proudly in appreciation of Bella's comment.

"It's my pleasure to have you, I'm just so very happy that Edward has found someone," Bella felt immediately guilty for dicieving this woman that she admired. It made her despise Edward even more.

"Mom, stop before you scare her away, now we're here what do you need me to do," Edward was a fixer of problems. There was nothing he hated more than to have chaos. He wanted to find out what all the frantic waving arms were for fix them and then relax in the study with a scotch and his father.

"Oh you have no idea. Edward I didn't know they were going to be rearranging everything and then the wardrobe and makeup I thought it would just be pictures and then a dinner party. I have so much to do but I have to be in that awful chair, did you see that man with the brush I think he hates me," Edward chuckled at his mother's distress and shook his head.

"That's all well and fine but what can I do to help?" Edward asked again gaining annoyance at the situation.

"Oh right um well the food, we have to get the food ready and they want to take pictures of the table setting and pies. Oh have to make the pies," Esme turned towards the kitchen flailing her arms again. She was swatting the makeup artists hands away as he followed her. "Jeff not now I have to get the pies started they need to cool before dinner."

"Mrs. Cullen," A small voice echoed through the kitchen. Esme turned around cautiously afraid of what new problem she now had to fix. To her relief it was Bella, Edward's wonderful new addition.

"If you need help with the baking I can do that while you get your hair and makeup fixed," Bella stepped away from Edward's side and followed Esme into the kitchen. Edward watched stunned as his once frantic mother gave Bella specific instructions on what needed to be taken care of. A few minutes later Esme returned to a stunned Edward and instructed him on what he needed to help his sister Alice with setting the tablescape and settings.

An hour later Edward found himself in the kitchen putting dishes away from the dishwasher much like he did when he was a child. He wondered if he would be receiving an allowance for his services this evening. As he put the dishes away he watched Bella as she rolled pie crust and folded pieces of dough in intricate designs. Edward was in awe at how easily Bella jumped in to help his mother in her time of need. He was once again transported back to high school and to the sweet and innocent girl who smiled all of the time regardless of who was gossiping about her. Her dark hair was clipped behind her head with a chip clip from a drawer Edward remembered to hold odds and ends. Bella had removed her sweater and her shoes. Her bare feet padded across the tile back and forth from the oven and the counter where she already had 2 pies cooling on a rack. Once Bella was satisfied with the items in the oven she glanced up into the cabinets and began to drum her fingers against her chin. She tilter her had to the side and then glanced at the oven again. Bella's eyes swept the kitchen briskly and landed on a chair. Her eyes darted between the chair and the cabinet as she debated if it was appropriate to stand on someone's chair to reach something. Bella began to nibble on her bottom lip as she came to a decision.

Bella turned toward the chair and let out a small yelp as she came face to face with Edward who had been studying her closely. "What can I do?" he asked offering her his assistance. He was not too arrogant to know that she was by far more experienced in this situation than he was. He would let her take charge for now.

"Height, I need you to get something down for me," Bella pointed in the cabinet to a shelf that held various baking ingrediance. Edward pulled down a small box and handed it to her. Bella shook her head and pointed to the shelf again. Edward pulled another box down and was greated with a frown. It was clear he did not know what he was supposed to get. "The brown sugar and chocolate chips," Bella requested.

Edward pulled down a bag of brown ingredients and handed them to a now scowling Bella. "That's wheat germ," she responded clearly dissatisfied with his assistance. Edward huffed in annoyance he was trying to be nice. He wrapped his hands firmly around Bella's waist and lifted her straight up in the air so that she could get whatever it was that she needed herself. Bella's feet kicked back and forth. "What are you doing? Put me down," Bella squeaked while kicking her tiny feet back and forth. Edward's grip tightened and his fingers pressed into her flesh. "If you don't stop kicking I'll drop you in the sink," Edward threatened. Bella ceased moving and quickly grabbed what she needed and set it on the counter.

Edward slowly lowered his arms bringing Bella back to the tiled floor. Once her feet were firmly planted back on the tile she spun around swinging her hair in Edwards face. Edward felt his lungs fill with a scent that was intoxicating. It was a mixture of strawberries and cream. His body instinctively leaned towards the smell. Bella brought her tiny fist up to push Edward away from her.

"What are you doing, shoo,get out, shoo out," she demanded swatting his chest as he retreated out of the kitchen area.

Both Edward and Bella turned their heads when they heard giggling coming from the breakfast nook. Edward glared at his sister, sister in law and mother as they laughed. "I'll be in dad's study," Edward left the room not giving them the satisfaction of glancing back to see if they were watching him.

The Cullen ladies helped Bella bake cookies and clean up the kitchen so that it was magazine worthy. Esme's hair and makeup were complete. Esme was impressed with Bella's artistic baking skills. The theme for her magazine spread was thanksgiving. Bella had made three kinds of pie at Esme's request. The apple pie looked like it came from a catalog, the dough was weaved across the top intricately creating a basket weave pattern, there were dough leaves in various shades of brown along the edges. The pumpkin pie was cooked to perfection again with leaves of dough arranged artisticly across the top. The sweat potato and pecan pie were equally appealing. Esme had thought she would have to finish up the baking but was pleasantly surprised that it was complete. She was highly impressed that Bella took it upon herself to bake cookies in the shapes of turkeys and pumpkins. She had no idea that all of the ingredients to make these masterpieces were in her cabinets.

When Edward returned to the kitchen to collect ice for him and his father he found a spotless kitchen with pies and cookies neatly arranged on platters with little notes to be left alone or else. He recognized his mother's handwriting and resisted the urge to swipe anything. He did however snag a cookie after looking back and forth making sure not to get caught. They were mouthwatering and delicious. He couldn't help the small moan that escaped his lips as he swallowed the last bit of cookie. There were a few boxes of spices on the counter. Bella walked in just before Edward swiped another cookie. She eyed Edward curiously as she walked around the island in the kitchen to stand next to him. Edward looked everywhere but at her penetrating eyes. Bella knew that Esme was right behind her and would be entering the kitchen soon. She could feel the woman's eyes on her whenever she was in her presence. As soon as Bella felt Esme in the doorway she brought her hand up and with her thumb gently wiped the chocolate that was nestled in the corner of Edward's mouth. Edward stood there stunned as he looked down at a smirking Bella. "Put the spices away in the cabinet and join us in the living room when you're done and don't touch another cookie or I'll tell your mother," Bella spoke in a quiet firm voice as she mustered all of the confidence she had to stare directly into Edward's eyes. She was going to earn her $200 and an academy award if she could. Edward's mouth hung open as he watched Bella join his mother in the kitchen entry. He placed the boxes back in the cabinets that Bella could not reach. His eyes fell upon two green eyes much like his own. Esme's eyes sparkled with happiness as she gave her son a warning look and glanced at the cookies.

"Hurry up," Esme said as she followed Bella back into the living room.

The magazine took pictures of everything from the bathroom with its leaf shaped soaps to the gardens that were brought to life with multicolored leaves and flowers. It looked like something out of a movie or well a magazine. The director was a bossy woman in her mid thirties who was spitting out orders here and there and at everyone. Carlisle emerged from his study in time to take a photo and be the trophy husband his wife needed him to be. He was fairly sober but buzzed enough to survive the evening. There were pictures taken of the family sitting casually around a formally set thanksgiving meal. Bella pleaded with Esme to abstain from the pictures. Esme understood Bella's reasoning. It was new in her relationship with Edward and she had a son to worry about. She didn't want her picture in a magazine with a man that she had yet to introduce to her son as her boyfriend. Esme didn't push and Bella was forever greatful. Edward was relieved as well, he could feel things shifting in his family as Bella sat politely next to Edward during the dinner party where Esme's friends and family were seated. Bella was polite and vaguely answered questions. She smiled at Edward when she knew Esme was watching. She didn't flinch away from Edward when he rested his arm on the back of her chair. As far as anyone other than Belle, Edward and Emmett were concerned Belle and Edward were a newly dating couple steeling smiles here and there.

On her way back from the bathroom Bella ran directly into a bear of a man and she knew immediately who it was before she looked up. "Emmett you scared the crap out of me," Bella swatted at his chest.

"Did he agree to the $200 a date?" Emmett asked amused by the situation. He was planning on making Edward squirm in his seat until he saw the state his mother was in when he arrived with his wife and kids. He was grateful for Bella's culinary skills more than anyone would know. He knew very well that his wife would have been of no assistance to his mother. His sister on the other hand had offered to drive to the diner to buy some pies.

"Yes he did, thank you for that by the way, I was selling myself short as you so politely put it," Bella recalled the conversation with Emmett at the diner where she offered to do it for $50 a date.

"He has the money, might as well put it to good use. You two seem to be getting a long good. Do you think there's a change it may turn into something real?" Emmett questioned. Bella felt her stomach twist into knots at the thought of actually dating Edward for real. His family was wonderful. Jake would be in seventh heaven if her were here with a real live Emmett Cullen, but the truth was that Edward terrified her. He was attractive in more than a million ways but she wanted more. She had been waiting her entire life to find that special someone and she refused to settle. She refused to bring a less than perfect man into her son's life as a father figure.

"No Emmett, I don't see that happening," Bella smiled shyly at the older Cullen brother and returned to her seat next to Edward at the table. Everyone enjoyed the pie and complimented Esme on her display and presentation. Esma smiled proudly at Bella and redirected their comments to her. Edward leaned back and let Bella absorb the attention as he noticed her bright blush overtake her cheeks. She was once again the shy girl from high school. Edward saw his mother glaring at him intensely from across the table trying to send some sort of a message. Esme tilter her had towards Bella and raised her eyebrows at Edward. He took his mother's cue and took Bella's hand in his and began to rub soothing circles to help make her feel more comfortable.

"Thank you," she said softly into Edward's ear as he leaned in to pull her chair closer to his. He felt her warm breath fan across his neck as she whispered into his ear. Edward's entire body shivered before he placed his arm around her shoulder drawing her closer. He took a glance in his mother's direction where he received an approving nod and smile as his mother returned to her conversation with her friend. As the evening wore on guests began to leave congratulating Esme on her magazine spread. By 10 o'clock Edward, Bella and another couple were the only ones left. Edward was in an intense conversation about a medical procedure with his father and the other Doctor. Esme and the Doctor's wife were fussing over pictures of grandchildren. Bella was bored and getting tired. She glanced around the table and decided she might as well start cleaning up. As Bella quietly cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher she felt at home here with the Cullens. She wanted a life like Esme had. She wanted a suburban house with a white picket fence and a dag. She had one of the two point five kids for the ideal nuclear life. Belle felt her face fall into a frown while she rinsed dishes. She was mad that Edward had exposed her to this life and all of the things she would never have. She would never have a loving husband who would love Jake as his own. She would never have a loving husband like Esme had. Bella felt her shoulders slump as she put the last of the dishes in the washer. She turned to face the island and found Edward leaning across resting his elbows on the counter with his chin resting in his hands. His eyes were once again studying her. She hated when he did this. She felt like she was being judged.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked concerned. He didn't like to see her sad. He knew if his mother found her like this in the kitchen she would come searching for him to find out what he had done or said to sour her mood.

"I'm just tired and ready to go home," Bella replied quietly looking down to avoid his searching eyes.

"You didn't have to clean up; she has someone coming tomorrow morning to take care of everything." Edward replied.

"Consider it a signing bonus," Bella replied dryly.

_**A/N: Reviews are almost as good as a signing bonus from Edward.**_


	4. Chapter 4

Rent-A-Life

Review Responses:

I am unable to answer your questions if you do not sign in. I cannot respond to guests.

From: Guest  
:You definitely need a beta my dear friend. A lot of little mistakes that  
drove me crazy.  
And what's the deal with Jakes dad? What's the story on that?

**AMWalsh** = This story has no BETA, if anyone would like to BETA it feel free to fix all of my mistakes and you can e-mail it back to me all pristine and perfect. I will repost the perfectly fixed chapter for your reading pleasure. I have another story "A Mission Heart" that I have an awesome Beta for but I don't want to bog her down with too much, we all have real lives away from FANFIC. This story is something that came to me and I couldn't get it out of my head so I just started putting it down and posting.

**AMWalsh** = Jake's dad will be revealed in later chapters, I will tell you that he will not be an obstacle for Bella and Edward. Jake has never met his father and never will. As far as Jake is concerned Charlie is the only father figure he needs. Now an Uncle Emmett on the other hand he most definitely wants.

Chapter 4

Edward collected Bella's sweater and purse from the table and handed them to her. He was indeed tired himself. Edward downed a cup of coffee quickly to sober and wake himself up before driving Bella home. Esme thanked Bella profusely and squeezed her tightly before letting her exit the door. Esme was beaming up at her son when he leaned down to give her a hug and kiss goodbye. "She's simply lovely Edward I'm so happy for you," Edward was ecstatic that his mother was pleased and felt that her happiness was worth much more than a measly $200 that was tucked in his jacket pocket.

Edward and Bella were silent during the ride back to her house. Bella was tired and just wanted to crawl into bed after checking on her dad and Jake. When Edward parked the car in front of the Chief's house he handed Bella the folded crisp two, one hundred dollar bills. Bella gently extracted them from his fingers and exited the car.

Over the next two weeks everyone's live went back to normal. Edward endured his mother's incessant questions about his and Bella's relationship dodging each with a vague response of its new I haven't asked her yet. Esme was a little more than irritated that her son did not have answers to growing questions. He knew that he had limited time before his mother took it upon herself seek out Bella and satisfy her curiosity. Edward sat staring at his high school yearbook again the next Friday night flipping through pictures of clubs and athletic teams. He was in several different group photos and candid shots. He found one with Bella sitting under a tree in the quad reading a book. He leaned back and closed his eyes trying to remember.

The memories flooded through him like he was there. Bella was sitting under the tree reading one of her many textbooks a highlighter resting between her lips. Her fingers tucked stray hairs behind her ear when the wind would blow. Edward sometimes watched her from his seat at the picnic table during lunch when the weather permitted the students to enjoy the outdoors. Some younger girls dressed entirely inappropriate for school walked passed Bella and drop a diaper in her lap onto her textbook. Edward watched in horror as he saw Bella's cheeks turn a bright red as she picked it up with her small hands. It was as if the entire quad had silenced as they watched to see how Bella would react. Edward expected her to stand up for herself or yell at them but he was not prepared for her polite comment.

"Thank you but the baby shower isn't for another month, this won't fit him until he's at least a year old but I appreciate the thought all the same," Bella smiled brightly at the girls as she walked passed them and entered the building. The rest of the quad erupted into laughter and pointed at the three young freshmen who thought they were going to make a name for themselves. Tyler Crowly one of Edward's team mates was the first to crack a joke, "Ah she fried you with no grease bitches." Edward couldn't help the snicker that flew from his mouth. Again the quad erupted into laughter. It was Angela Webber, one of the quiet girls who ran after Bella to see if she was indeed as okay as she seemed to be. Later that Day Edward saw Bella walking through the hall as if nothing had happened. He glanced down at her protruding belly and decided not to talk to her.

The rest of the year went on like that; some freshman or underclassmen girl would make a snide comment or pull a prank on a very pregnant and waddling Bella. Each and every time Bella would respond with a witty or polite comment and go on with her business as if nothing had happened. Edward couldn't understand why she didn't lash out and punch one of those girls. If it was him he would have been suspended for fighting. Granted he would never hit a girl but if it was a guy he would have not hesitated one iota of a second before punching him square in the face.

Edward sat up and flipped through the book again to the last few pages where parents had bought ads for congratulating their children and posted baby pictures of them. He must have flipped through four pages before he found Bella's. There was a shield in the upper corner of her full page. Clearly the Chief had bought this page. There was a picture in the upper right corner of a small Bella in pigtails and a pink dress holding a smurfette lunchbox, under the picture it stated first day of school Forks Elementary. Edward took a closer look at the picture and inspected every aspect of her small form standing there outside of the school. Edward stood up abruptly and ran towards his room. On the bottom of his bookshelf it was lined with all of his yearbooks. His mother had saved every single one from nursery school paper ones all the way through his Alumni book from Johns Hopkins Medical School. He plopped himself down on the floor right there in the middle of his room and began flipping through his Kindergarten yearbook. Right there in black and white was a small Bella standing next to Jessica Stanley in the class photo. When had she left Forks? Edward hadn't remembered her from his days in elementary school. He tossed the book aside and flipped through the first grade yearbook and right there again she was standing next to Jessica Stanley in a pretty dress and braided pigtails.

Book after book, Edward flipped through the pages trying to remember her from his childhood. She was in the second grade book, the third grade book and then the fourth grade book there was no sign that she had existed in Forks at all after fourth grade. He tried to remember her as a child in his class. Edward was not interested in girls at all at the time. He wanted to play baseball, football and anything that involved a science kit and running. His older sister Alice would torture him with dress up and dolls so it was not that farfetched that Edward didn't want to be friends with girls at such a young age. Edward searched through all of the rest of his yearbooks up until junior year where Bella reappeared out of thin air. He remembered that her parents had divorced, her mother moving away and taking Bella with him. He vaguely remembered in the fourth grade his father spending a few nights out with some of his friends to help cheer up the Chief. Edward didn't understand at the time what had happened.

This brought his mind to his summer between junior and senior year when he was away at baseball camp. His brother picked him up from the airport because his father had a delivery and his mother wanted to be there for the young girl. It hadn't dawned on him that, that girl was Bella. He remembered his mother getting phone calls in the middle of the night and at odd hours of the day. His mother had brought a baby home on Saturdays that she would coo at and make funny faces to. Edward knew thought that she was babysitting one of her friend's babies he never thought to connect that baby with Bella. He remembered being stuck watching the crying child when his mother had to run to the store to grab his brother's prescription before the pharmacy closed.

Edward remembered despising the screaming brat as it spit up and decided that it was a good idea to have diarrhea precisely the moment when Edward was home alone with it. Edward grabbed a scotch and sat back on his sofa releasing a hearty laugh. He had changed Jake's crappy diaper some ten years ago and hadn't known it. Bella's son was in his home every Saturday until he left for college. He let the baby sit in its car seat and watch him play video games while his mother cooked dinner. Always around eight o'clock in the evening she would take the baby back to his mother. It took Edward all of two minutes to figure out that Newton's Sports and Outfitters where Bella worked through high school closed exactly at seven o'clock on Saturdays.

Edward was decided. He needed to find out more about Bella and how much she wasn't telling him. It was clear that she was very familiar with his family. His mother had embraced Bella like an old friend and said that she was glad it was her. He felt like a fool for not knowing more about her. He glanced at the digital clock on his cable box noting that it was only eight o'clock and not too late to call. Bella picked up on the third ring.

"Swan residence, who may I ask his calling?" A sweet angelic voice rang through Edward's ears. He had never heard her sound so light and free, with him she was always cold and firm.

"May I speak with Bella Swan?" Edward asked in his most confident voice.

"This is her," Bella responded politely.

"Are you available to have coffee or go for a drink this evening?" Edward held his breath waiting for her response. He hadn't thought that maybe she might say no.

"Who is this?" She asked.

"It's Edward." He stated.

"Oh, um, did I miss an e-mail? The next thing is your cousin's wedding next Saturday," Bella's voice was shy and uncertain.

"No, this is a last minute thing, just coffee or a drink whichever you prefer." Edward requested.

"Um, alright, do I have to dress up or are jeans okay?" Bella inquired. She couldn't help wonder what could possibly have come up such last minute that required her to be his date. Maybe his mother asked to have drinks or his sister.

"Jeans are fine, I'll be there in twenty minutes," Edward hung up the phone and went to his room to grab a sweater. Upon entering his room he saw the mess he had made with his bookcase. He made a note to pick it up tomorrow before his shift in the evening. Edward picked up the third grade year book and took one last glance at the smiling little girl with brown pigtails. Her eyes sparkled even in the picture. He wished he had paid closer attention as a child, he wished he had known her better.

As promised Edward was parked promptly 20 minutes later waiting for Bella. She exited the house and walked quickly towards the car pulling on her jacket. The front door of the house flung open and Jake came running out and met her as she reached the car. "You forgot your phone, oh hey Doctor Cullen," Jake smiled through the window. The boy glanced from his mother back to Edward and back again.

"Working?" Jake quirked his eyebrow at his mother.

"Yes, I already told you, now go inside you don't have your coat and midnight Jake," Bella kissed her son on the forehead and pushed him towards the porch. Jake turned around and glared at Edward but still smiled and gave him a wave goodbye.

"You told him you were working?" Edward asked as Bella slid into the front seat.

"I'm not going to lie to my son." Edward felt a pang of guilt at her statement because wasn't he doing the exact thing to his mother lying.

Edward drove in silence towards the only bar in Forks. When they got inside he noticed that it was quite crowded. Edward asked the hostess if they had a table in a corner somewhere where they would have a little privacy. The hostess led them to back corner of the small restaurant side of the bar and set their drink menus down informing them that their waitress would soon be with them.

"Where is your mom?" Bella asked looking around.

"She's not coming it's just you and I tonight," Bella's face drew down in a frown, she hoped to see Esme this evening, she had brought the pictures of Jake that she had requested.

Bella sat there silently staring at Edward unsure of why she was here then if his mother wasn't going to be here.

"Is your sister Alice coming?" Bella asked while perusing the drink menu. She hadn't been out for drinks in a long time. Usually she went with a few of the moms from Jake's school back in San Francisco. Bella had yet to catch up with any old friends back here in Forks.

"No, it's just you and I tonight," Edward stated again. Bella was still confused and decided to just wait and see where the evening took her. She was going to do as her father requested and have a nice evening and a drink or two. She would just ignore Edward and enjoy the music and the drink.

The band playing was a cross between blues and rock. Bella felt the music as she closed her eyes ignoring the man across from her. She did not want to be here alone with him. The waitress arrived taking their drink orders. Bella ignored the incessant flirty the young woman was doing to get Edward's attention. She watched Edward closely as he ordered a scotch and coke. He didn't respond to the woman's advances at all. Bella ordered her lemon drop martini and handed the menu to the waitress who left with a tight smile at Bella. Bella thought to herself 'you can have him if you want him', but the words didn't come out.

Edward sipped his scotch slowly as he watched Bella take a tentative sip of her girly drink. He watched her nose crinkle and lips purse as she got used to the taste. She was quite striking with her pale skin and flushed cheeks. There was no question in Edward's mind that he found her to be one of the most beautiful woman he had come in contact with. He was partial to brunettes his entire life. The only blonde he dated was Tanya and he wouldn't classify that as dating but more fucking at medical conferences. The thought of Tonya and Bella in his mind made him down his drink in one gulp savoring the burn through his throat. Every time he looked at Bella he saw a sweet innocent high school girl and not the woman sitting across from him. He was nervous. He was unsure of how to begin with his questions. Clearly he did not inherit his mother's gift for gab.

They sat in silence sipping their drinks staring at one another until one would look away. Edward drew his hand through his hair working up the courage to start what he had planned to do, get to know her. He saw that she was on her third drink and he on his second, he might want to move things along.

"How old were you when your parents divorced?"

"Nine." Well that wasn't so bad he thought, he asked and she answered, this was simple enough.

"Why did they get divorced?"

"Mom didn't want to be tied down in a small town; she wanted to see the world."

"Is that what you did then? The two of you saw the world?" Bella released a small giggle.

"Heavens no, we made it as far as Arizona before she re-married."

"Is that where you moved from junior year?"

"Yup, good old Phoenix and the big city." Edward heard the waver in her voice and thought his next question would probably not be answered but he was going to ask anyway. Bella seemed to be a little tipsy and in an agreeable mood.

"Is Jake's dad still in Phoenix?"

"For the next 35 years." Edward sipped his drink and leaned back resting his arm against the back of the booth. He waited for her to elaborate until it was clear she was done with that answer.

"Why did you move back to Forks with your dad?" Bella gave him a pointed look raising her eyebrows. Clearly it was because she was pregnant but why didn't she stay with her mother. "Why didn't you stay with your mom?"

Bella physically slumped her shoulders and wiggled her body closer into the bench of the booth to get comfortable. She stretched her feet out to rest on the bench next to Edward and bent her knees up. She downed her drink and waved the empty glass in the air. Bella needed another drink before she could continue down this line of questioning.

"My father came to Phoenix and got custody of me and brought me back here."

"And Jake's dad?"

"What exactly do you want to know Edward?" Bella said his name as if it were poison from her lips. Gone was the giggling tipsy girl and staring back at him now was an angry woman.

"I need to know more about you, my mother keeps asking all of these questions and I should know some of this stuff."

"Jake's father isn't in the picture and never will be, that's all that you need to know." Edward had a million thoughts running through his mind. What had happened to her in Phoenix? Was she raped, was she a rebellious teen, did she run away, was she just some wallflower experimenting? He needed to know.

Edward set down his drink and took a chance. He slid his hands across the table and grasped Bella's cold hands in his. He held them both firmly and stroked his thumb in soothing circle across her knuckles.

"Were you raped Bella?" Bella's head snapped up from staring at their joined hands and snatched them away from him. Bella sat straight up yanking her feet down from the bench across from her. She glared at his assumption. It was the same question her father had asked her all those years ago.

"No, I was not raped, It was consensual and I'll tell you the same thing I told my father. I would do it again and again as long as I have Jake in the end." Edward felt like a fool for asking her that question. He was just so frustrated because she wasn't talking to him and opening up. He decided to change the subject and ask another question that was burning his mind.

"Do you remember junior year Biology, your first week back?"

"Vaguely why?" Bella remembered every detail. Every time she saw Edward and every time his fingers gently brushed her arm as he reached for the microscope.

"Do you remember that the first day you were sitting next to Eric Yorkie and the next the teacher had switched your seat next to me?" Edward asked knowing that he was going to regret telling her this. He wanted to open up and tell her a secret of his in hopes that she would in turn trust him with her own.

"Yes, Mr. Banner said something about allergies and perfume," Bella looked confused and less angry so Edward to it as a sign to move forward.

"Well, promise not to tell but after your first day I went to Mr. Banner after school and told him that Tyler's cologne was giving me hives. He didn't have a problem moving his seat but I offered to have you sit with me so I could help you catch up. I had the highest grade so far and took the opportunity to remind him." Edward sat back and let Bella absorb the information he just gave her.

Bella's head tilted to the side and back again as she looked at him. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. Bella took a sip of her drink and set it down on the table. She scooted out from the booth and stood slowly making sure she was steady on her feet before she took a step.

"I need to use the restroom, please order me another drink if she comes back." Bella quickly shuffled her way to the restroom. Once there se splashed water on her face after relieving her bladder. She stared at herself in the mirror and rubbed her face. He wanted to sit next to me she thought. Images of a teenage Edward filled her head as she thought about high school and sitting next to him. His words filled her ears as she remembered their conversations about everything from music to science. She enjoyed seeing his eyes light up when he was passionate about a particular band that Bella found overplayed or outdated. She remembered reluctantly giving him her I-pod to take home so he could put a playlist on for her to sample. He was insistent on trying to persuade her to point of view.

Bella dried her hands and made her way back to the table. The band was playing slow blues music. The room was dimly light and a few couples were dancing around the room intimately. When Bella reached the table she didn't see the man she had come to loathe but the high school Edward looking into her eyes expectantly. Bella reached for his hand as he slid from the booth to stand next to her. He was silent afraid to ruin this new friendly Bella. Bella walked slowly onto the dance floor tugging Edward behind her. She stopped under a speaker and turned to nestle herself against his chest bringing her hands up to rest on his shoulders. Edward stood there stiffly as Bella molder her body against his. His arms hung there unable to move. He was not expecting this kind of a reaction from her; he simply wanted answers to his questions. Bella gently took Edward's wrists in her hands wrapped them around her waist and returned her hands to rest on his chest. Their bodies swayed slowly to the music as Bella nestled her cheek on his chest above his heart. She could feel it thumping against her face as she pressed into his pectoral muscle.

Dancing here in Edward's arms was everything she had hoped it would be when she was a scared pregnant teenager. She remembered crying herself to sleep at night wishing for things to be different, wishing for him to ask her to a dance and hold her. She knew that being his arms would make all of her problems momentarily disappear. It took her over ten years to get the opportunity to be wrapped in his arms and she was going to enjoy every moment of it that was possible.

"I didn't know that you asked for me to sit next to you, I'm glad you did though." Bella spoke into his neck. Edward felt her warm breath seep into his sweater and tickle his skin. He flattened his hand on the small of her back and brought the other up to grasp hers against his chest. They slowly swayed to the music both enjoying the contact and relishing the high school memories that swam in their heads.

"I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you the other week in the hospital parking lot. I hope you can forgive me," Bella stiffened in his embrace and lifted her head to stare up into his emerald eyes. He was beautiful. She never expected to hear those words from him. The walls she had built up around her began to weak when his thumb started rubbing soothingly back and forth across her knuckles.

"Thank you, I forgive you, I'm sorry for being less than cordial towards you," Bella whispered and returned her cheek to rest against his chest. She felt his heartbeat quicken and smiled against his sweater. Perhaps he was not as awful of a person as she had thought.

Edward tilted his head down to rest his cheek on top of Bella's soft wavy hair. His nose inhaled the scent of her strawberry shampoo and he was immediately transported back to Biology class and boring VHS movies of outdated labs. He would lean back in his chair and rest his arm on Bella's seat as she leaned forward resting her head on her folded arms while the move droned on and on. Edward would mindlessly twirl a piece of her hair between his fingers rubbing it with his thumb. He remembered scratching his lip after class on his way to gym and still smelling her scent on his hands. He would take every opportunity to smell his hand without looking like a crazed fool. He hated the showers after gym where her scent would vanish from his hands replaced by the shower gel from his locker.

Now swaying to the music holding Bella in his arms he basked in her scent and buried his nose in her scalp inhaling deeply. Edward's hand began to rub up and down Bella's back pressing her body closer into his as he inhaled deeper. He wanted to remember this moment for eternity. He was not paying this woman to date him, he wanted to use this memory and insert it into his high school memories, lock it away and save it for whenever he wanted to think of her.

"Tony," Bella's whisper jerked Edward's head away from her hair. Tony, he hated the name now. Back in high school he hated the name Edward and insisted on using his middle name Anthony and shortened it to Tony. He thought it made him seem cooler. Hearing Bella whisper his childhood name made him feel weak and vulnerable. He wanted her to use his real name and for her to whisper it softly into his chest as she had just done. But she was not thinking of him in the present she was caught up in memories from high school much as he was.

"Bella, we should get going soon," Edward reluctantly released her from his embrace and led her back to their table. Bella downed her drink in one gulp and closed her eyes. Edward paid the bill and lead Bella to the car. He was confident he was okay to drive.

"I'm not ready to go home," Bella whispered in the car as Edward drove toward her house. He glanced at her and her eyes were locked on him. She was looking at him with intensity that he had never seen in another human being. Her nostrils were puffing gently and her chest was rising rapidly like she was battling internally with herself. Bella's hand slid from resting at her side to Edward's knee. His body tightened as she slid her hand gently up and down his thigh and gripped his knee. "Do you live alone?" She asked quietly.

Edward's Adams apple bobbed as he tried to decipher her question and everything that he thought she was asking.

"Yes," Edward's voice cracked like a teenage boy as he turned the car around and headed towards his condo.

_**A/N: Reviews are almost as good as a signing bonus from Edward.**_


	5. Chapter 5

Rent-A-Life

Chapter 5

Edward held the door open for Bella after he parked his car in the parking garage. He was extremely nervous and excited. Edward was caught up in his high school fantasy of Bella and all of the things he had missed out on with her. Bella stole shy smiles and giggled up at him. As he unlocked the door he stood aside and allowed her to enter his home first. He wasn't sure if the place was a mess, he could barely remember leaving his apartment earlier.

"Would you like something to drink?" He offered her as she walked the perimeter of his living and dining room glancing at the walls and looking out of the windows. Bella was quiet and shy holding her hands behind her back with her fingers intertwined. Bella was the epitome of his high school crush at this moment. She was everything he had wanted.

"May I use your restroom?" Bella asked while she walked slowly down the long hallway. Edward answered a quick yeah as he poured himself a glass of ice water. He poured one for Bella as well and took a seat on his couch waiting for her to return. He sat there for an unknown amount of time before he glanced down the hallway in search of her. A few moments passed and he looked again. Edward began to worry that she may be sick or had fallen asleep. He set the glasses down on the table and walked down the hall listening for any signs of life.

Edward stopped in the open doorway to his bedroom and stared down at a Bella sprawled out on his bedroom carpet. She was belly side down, propped up on her elbows with her tiny bare feet swinging in the air back and forth. Her hair was curtained around the book she was flipping through on the floor. Edward immediately remembered all of the yearbooks that were scattered about earlier and now neatly stacked in chronological order. Edward walked slowly into the room and sat himself on the floor next to Bella, leaning his back against the box spring of his bed.

"You went to the eighth grade winter formal with Jessica Stanley?" Bella asked. Gone was the flirtatious giggling girl who was offering herself to him. She was replaced with a too innocent tipsy inquisitive one.

"Yeah, that was our one and only date," Edward remembered all too clearly how Jessica kept pawing at him and trying to ram her tongue down his throat.

Edward and Bella sat on his bedroom floor flipping through yearbooks as Edward answered all of her questions about different classmates and the gaps of time that she had been in Phoenix. Bella helped Edward put away his yearbooks and the two found themselves in the kitchen where Bella was mixing eggs and cinnamon together for French toast. It was nearly one in the morning and bother were hungry and needed bread to sober up before he had to take Bella home. They fell into a comfortable conversation about Forks, the weather, town legends and events that had taken place. Bella enjoyed talking with Edward he wasn't as arrogant as she had first thought. He was actually kind of pleasant when you got him going on a topic he was passionate about. After the dishes were loaded in the washer they left for Bella's house. It was nearly three o'clock Saturday morning by the time Bella slid under her covers with present memories and high school memories swimming around in her head. They had left things that morning with promises to try and rebuild their friendship as they continued with their agreement. Edward came home to his empty condo that smelled of Bella.

The next day Bella received a text message at one o'clock in the afternoon while she was folding laundry.

_**Are there elephants stampeding inside your head?**_

Bella giggled at the mental image of actual elephants stomping inside her head. It was quite amusing. Her head ached as it often did after a night out with the girls. It was tolerable as long as Jake kept his headphones in while he played video games. Bella checked the number to see who it was and she didn't recognize it. She thought it was Edward but thought it better to make sure before she responded.

_**It's more of a bunny hop than a stampede, who is this?**_

Bella continued with her chores and making dinner, she had an evening shift at the diner and wanted to get a nap in before she had to leave for work. It wasn't until she was on her dinner break at the diner that she got a chance to check her phone again. There were four texts waiting for her from the previous number.

_**Edward **__1:15pm_

_**or Tony as you prefer **__2:00pm_

_**Are you as hangover as I am? **__4:00pm_

_**Are you free tonight for dinner? **__6:00pm_

Bella had flutters through her stomach as she reread his texts over and over. Was he asking her out on a real date or was she needed for another performance. She didn't have a chance to respond until after seven o'clock that evening. She quickly typed a response noticing that it was almost seven and she didn't want him to think she was ignoring him.

_**No hangover but I'm working, thanx another time**_

Belle returned to her waitress duties floating around the diner. She was caught up in her thoughts when she almost walked right into the swinging kitchen doors. The diner wasn't that busy but she was one of only two waitresses here tonight and had plenty to do. When Bella first started working at the diner a few months ago when she moved back to Forks she was bombarded with guests asking about her father and how he was doing. She was offered gestures of help and promises that were kept. She hadn't realized how much this tiny community cherished her father. Here in this small town he was a hero to most and a friend to some. Bella was touched by the outpour of support her father received in his time of illness. She almost thought that perhaps he didn't need her quite as much as she thought he did.

A quick glance at the clock told Bella that was nearly eight o'clock and the diner would be closing in two hours. She began to start cleaning some of the sections and sectioning them off.

"Bella you've got a new guest at table three," Sarah the hostess said.

Bella wiped her hands on her apron and grabbed a menu and placemat with silverware. When she approached table three she saw a capped head looking back and forth. He was wearing one of those doctor hats that ties in the back. Bella set his placemat, menu and silverware down on the table arranging them neatly. She smiled down at a familiar face.

"My name is Bella and I'll be your server this evening can I start you off with a glass of water?" She smiled brightly at a disheveled looking Edward. His eyes were red and bloodshot. He looked absolutely adorable sitting there in his scrubs and little hat. He even still had his stethoscope around his neck.

"Hi," Edward greeted her quietly smiling up at her. He gestured for her to have a seat across from him and she sat down gently glancing around to make sure that her other guests weren't looking for her.

"Did you survive your shift or are you here on a break?" Bella asked him.

"I'm done for the day; I don't go back until Monday morning. How's your day been?" He asked.

"Normal with a slight headache, I drank more than you and you seem to be much worse off," Bella laughed at Edward's lack of tolerance for alcohol.

"To be fair I drove you home which means you had more sleep and time to recover. I can drink you under the table, name your poison time and date." Edward winked and gave Bella his lopsided smile feeling his headache ease as he gazed into her warm chocolate eyes. Her eyes sparkled with secrets so deep you could drown. Edward wanted to dive right in without a raft.

"No thanks I'm good for a while on partying, it's time to get back to responsibility and grown up lives. What can I get you?"

"Pie, I need pie. Apple if you have it but I'll take Cherry or Pecan," The pie at the diner had improved immensely over the past few months. Edward's mother had been serving the diner's pie and passing it off as her own during Sunday dinners. After the Home and Garden event at his mother's Edward knew immediately that it was Bella who was baking pies for the diner now. He had come to crave pies recently and had gained quite a few pounds. There was always a doctor or nurse that made a run by the diner and it was a standing order to bring Edward a piece of whatever pie was fresh. He now knew why, it was made by Bella, everything about her drew him to her weather he wanted it to or not.

"One of each you can take the rest with you for later," Bella patted Edward on the head like a small child when he beamed up at her at the mention of more pie. She held back the urge to roll her eyes at his enthusiasm. Men and their pie she thought.

Bella returned with Edward's pie and his bill. She filled his coffee and promised to check on him after she finished with her other table. Bella returned to Edward's table to find the money for his bill under the slip along with two crisp one hundred dollar bills. Bella's heart dropped to her knees. He was paying her for last night like it was a regular agreement date and not two old friends catching up. The thought that he only considered her an employee and not a true friend more than twisted the knife in Bella's heart. She flipped the piece of paper over and tucked the money in her pocket.

_**Bella,**_

_**Thank you for drinks last night I learned so much and enjoyed dancing down memory lane.**_

_**Until Saturday,**_

_**Edward**_

Bella pushed through the rest of her shift trying to keep her emotions in check. She was a fool to think that she had any type of a future with Edward whether it be friends or otherwise. Bella went home that night feeling sick to her stomach. She had enjoyed her time with Edward in their drunken state. She felt like she was regaining back some of the teenage shenanigans that she had missed out on. It was fun hanging out with Edward, he was silly drinker. Belle thought he was absolutely beautiful when he smiled. His normal brooding face with his eyebrows all scrunched up made him look old and mean.

The next few days flew by for both Bella and Edward. Bella's father was feeling better and started to drive around a bit more. He was keeping his food down and seemed in higher spirits. Jake was happy that his poppop was back to semi-normal and that they could talk sports and watch games together. Charlie even tossed the old pig skin with Jake out on the front lawn. Bella watched from the kitchen window and enjoyed seeing her father and son play together. It pained her that she couldn't offer Jake a father throughout his life. She didn't date much if ever. Bella thought that it was better to have no father figure rather than a constant stream of different men in and out of their lives. She was looking forward to Edward's cousins wedding on Saturday. Alice, his sister had dropped by the diner and dropped off a dress she wanted Bella to have. Bella tried to decline the dress but Alice was very friendly and insisted. Bella didn't remember Alice in Forks when she was in high school. Alice was five years older than Edward and four older than Emmett. Alice had already been off to college by the time Bella moved back.

Edward was busy at the hospital working extra shifts to cover his weekend off for the wedding. His father having seniority didn't have to work extra hours or trade shifts with anyone. Edward couldn't wait for the time when it would be him in that position of authority. He hadn't heard a peep from Bella since he stalked her by text and dropped by the diner. He wanted to do something nice for her to show his appreciation for opening up during their night of drinking and for hanging out with him. He figured he would pay her for their drinking date. He picked up the phone several times and his thumb hovered over the send button but he couldn't do it. Clearly she was rejecting him by not contacting him. He had made all of the effort. He had texted and dropped by, what more could he have done. Other than stalk her which he was sure he was border line doing anyway, the way he would drive by the diner before and after work to see if her truck was there.

It was Saturday morning and the wedding was a four hour drive there and back. Esme called to remind Edward that they would all be staying over in the hotel after the wedding. Edward had forgotten and winced at the thought of having to tell Bella. He knew she would throw a fit. He cold picture her little hands on her shapely hips as she glared up at him with those molten eyes turning to fire. A shiver ran through his spine as he picked up the phone.

"This is Bella," her sing song voice rang over the phone on the second ring on her cell phone.

"It's Edward, I forgot to mention that the wedding is kind of far away and my family well we're all staying in the hotel overnight. I just wanted to let you know so you could pack a bag." Edward felt like quickly hanging up but thought if he had to sit with her for four hours he better be as polite as possible.

"I can't stay overnight, I have to be here for Jake and my dad in the morning," Bella demanded raising her voice. The sound brought her father into the kitchen where she was preparing a casserole for them to heat up for dinner that night.

"It's only one night I'm sure they can survive," Edward pleaded.

"It's just not possible, I'm sorry but you'll have to find someone else," Charlie tapped Bella on the shoulder and mouthed 'what's wrong'. Bella shook her head at her dad and shooed him away with her hand. He had become an old gossiping bitty since she had been in San Francisco. The man was more of a gossip than Mrs. Andrews at the diner who knew everyone's business.

"I can't just come up with another fake girlfriend in less than an hour. Bella come on it'll be fun," Edward's voice began to whine like a child. He knew he was being immature but she couldn't leave him stranded like that. Granted he should have told her sooner but it wasn't as if Jake was a baby, he was nearly a teenager. Charlie was doing better and even Edward had seen him driving his cruiser around to scare kids. Charlie did that now and then. He liked to drive by the local teenage hangouts during school hours to scare the kids who cut school. You never knew when the Chief might show up.

"NO!" She almost yelled in the phone.

"Bella just go we'll be fine, we're going to stay up and watch sports center all night anyway and sleep in tomorrow, go have fun," Bella shushed her dad as he budded in her conversation.

"Look if it's a matter of money I'll double the pay," Edward offered feeling like a fool for practically begging her.

A few moments passed and Bella made a mhm sound into the found wondering how far would he go to get her to come with him. She had talked to Emmett once or twice during the week when he stopped into the diner. He knew that Esme was simply ecstatic about Edward's new relationship status.

"Triple?"

"Fine a thousand and that's it, I'm not going any higher. If you don't go I'll just stay home and catch up on sleep. I'll tell my mother that we were in a fight and that you were seeing someone behind my back," Edward knew he had her there.

"You wouldn't dare." Bella demanded.

"Don't test me Bella, you don't want to know how far I'll go," Edward was bluffing and he knew it. But it got her to respond and that's all that he wanted.

"Fine a thousand and from now on its three hundred, take it or leave it and if you tell your mother that awful lie I'll tell her about the entire arrangement," Bella huffed the hair out of her face while her father watched her with anticipation to find out if she had won whatever argument she was having. Bella rolled her eyes at her father as she walked into the bathroom and shut the door for some privacy.

"Deal, but with the extra hundred bucks a date I get hand holding, hugging, and kisses on the cheek starting this weekend," Edward waited holding his breath for her to answer. He was terrified that she would just call it off.

"Alright then I'll see you in about an hour, and Edward please shave I don't want to kiss scruff," with that Bella hung up the phone and went upstairs to pack an overnight bag.

Bella was again waiting by the curb for Edward. Jake was excited to have a guy's weekend with his pop and hadn't given a second thought to Bella being gone overnight. He hadn't asked where she was going or what time she would be back. Jake gave her a kiss on the cheek a tight hug and off he went to watch sports center with Charlie. Bella tapped her foot noticing that Edward was indeed five minutes late. She had to jump back onto the grass a few minutes later when a long SUV limousine pulled up. Bella looked at the monstrous vehicle and titled her head to the right. One of the windows slowly rolled down and Alice poked her head out.

"Hey you wore the dress, you could have changed when we got there it's not until tonight," Bella smiled brightly at Alice and felt a warm hand extract her bag from her grasp. She looked up in time to receive a peck on the cheek and an arm around her waist as Edward guided her towards the rear door. He put her bag in the trunk and slid into the seat next to her.

Bella waved to everyone in the car, Esme and Carlisle were snuggled together in a row of plush leather seats along the side of the car. Emmett and Rose were seated across from them sitting closely together chatting with one another quietly. Alice and her husband Jasper were seated at the far end of the car behind the partition. Edward stretched out his long legs and settled himself snugly in the leather seats. The car was stocked with a mini fridge a television and blu-ray player. There was soft jazz music playing in the background. Edward reached over a still shocked Bella to buckle her lap seatbelt. She looked over at him and smiled.

"Thank you," she spoke quietly not wanting to interrupt anyone else. She certainly couldn't give Edward any attitude in the presence of his family. As Edward leaned back farther into the seat his head rested on the headrest.

"Get comfortable it's going to be a long ride," Edward whispered in her ear and took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Edward fiddled with his i-pod and the music in the cabin of the car changed from jazz to a soulful blues. He closed his eyes and gently stroked Bella's fingers.

Bella was hyper aware of three sets of eyes glancing at her every once in a while. She didn't know what to do or what to say. The caress of Edward's fingers on her skin was not helping her relax. It was doing the opposite. She slowly extracted her hand from his and rested them on her lap. Bella reached into her purse and pulled out her i-pad and began to read a book her friend had sent her as a gift. She missed her friends back in San Francisco.

The next thing she knew there was a warm hand rubbing her army up and down. Her shoulder shook gently and there was warm air in her ear.

"If you don't wake up I'm going to pick you up," Edward threatened into her ear.

Bella sat up slowly wiping the small amount of drool that had collected at the corner of her mouth. She looked down at where her head had been resting. She was nestled on Edward's chest leaving a small wet spot. His arm was around her gently stroking up and down. Bella took notice to where her hand was resting on Edward's thigh only centimeters away from his groin. Bella sat up quickly and extracted herself from him. She looked around the cabin and it was empty.

"They went to check in they didn't want to wake you. I think Emmett may have gotten a video of you talking in your sleep though," Edward watched as Bella's face flushed and her eyes flew open wide in terror.

"Joking, joking, come on we have to check and you can freshen up," Edward helped her out of the back of the car and got their bags from the trunk. After checking in they headed to the elevator for their room. Bella was concerned about sharing a hotel room with him and if he would sleep on the sofa bed if there was only one bed. She had an entire new set of worries when they opened the door to their small hotel room. It was nice and expensive looking but it was small. It must have been one of the broom closets that they converted into a single room. It held a single bed decorated with lush pillows and a down comforter. There was a plush chair in the corner a television mounted on the wall across from the bed with dresser underneath that held a microwave and a coffeepot. Bella walked through the room quickly scanning the perimeter. She was looking for a hidden door that would lead to sweet or a pull away bed one of those Murphy ones that was attached to the wall. She opened the bathroom door and glanced back and for and almost swore that the bathroom was bigger than the bedroom. She turned around to glare at an also seemingly uncomfortable Edward. There was a knock on the door that tore both Edward and Bella away from their discomfort. Esme walked through the partially opened door.

"Oh it's just precious Carlise look," Esme fluttered through the room. She drew the curtains open and turned down the bed to feel the comforter. She slid by Bella to take in the bathroom. She was beaming from ear to ear looking at her husband.

"It's almost exactly the same. The bathroom has been redone but it's just the same," Esma went into her husband's waiting arms and the older couple kissed passionately as Edward and Bella watched in discomfort. Edward cleared his throat.

"Oh, sorry, it's just that this was the room that your father and I stayed in when we were married. It was all we could afford and we just had to say that we stayed here. I think I still have the stationary and the towel I stole," Esme looked wistfully at the room and gave her son a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I hope you two will be comfortable here. We didn't know that Edward was going to have a date when we booked the room. It's quite romantic if you think about it," Esme smiled at Bella her heart filling with warmth at the thought of her and Edward here together possible giving her more grandchildren. She shook her head to clear her inappropriate thoughts and kissed Bella on the cheek before dragging Carlisle out of the room with promises of a drink at the bar to see if they still served something or other she was chattering on about.

Bella glared her eyes at Edward and took her bag with her into the bathroom locking the door. She freshened up her light makeup and used the facilities. She closed the lid on the seat and sat down to read a bit of her book until it was time to go. It must have been almost 30 minutes before there was a tap at the door.

"Are you alright in there?" Edward asked.

"Fine thanks," Bella responded tapping the screen to go to the next page. It was quite a good book. Her friend had said that Bella would find it exciting. Five minutes later there was another tap at the door.

"I have to sue the bathroom, are you going to be much longer?" Edward asked.

"Just a few more minutes," Bella turned the page again and continued to read. She sat up flushed the toilet and sat back to read some more. Five minutes later there was another tap at the door.

"Bella, open the damn door," She giggled at his frustration and decided to put the i-pad away. He had enough torture for the moment. As she was about to open the door there was a loud pounding and the door physically shook. She stepped back and stared in shock as his voice bellowed through the door.

"Isabella Swan you better fucking open this door right now or I'm going to break it down," Bella placed her hand over her chest in shock. Well he certainly wasn't in a good mood. She watched as the door shook and she heard a loud thud and then another. Was he ramming his body against the door? Bella wanted nothing more than to be a fly on the wall on the other side of the door to see his behavior. She could picture it in her mind and couldn't help the laughter that erupted.

Edward stopped mid run as he hear her laughing from the bathroom. He was seething. He had used the bathroom down the hall and was now just purely livid with her for hogging the bathroom. The door slowly opened and a small hand was waving a piece of toilet paper in the air. Edward stood there looking at the piece of paper not knowing what to make of it. Had she been in there long enough to use all of the toilet paper? Did she need more? He most certainly wasn't going to get her any. Bella slowly opened the door until it was fully open. She stood there looking up into Edward's stern face. His eyes were squinted almost shut, his nostrils were flared and his eyebrows were creased together. He looked sexy as hell and terrifying at the same time. She flattened herself against the wall as he stalked passed her slamming the door in her face. Well his mood hadn't improved. Bella felt a little guilty for what she had done but not enough to dwell on it. It was almost fun to rile him up. It was just too easy to do. When she was around Edward, Bella turned into a high school immature child. She did childish things and had childish emotions.

A few moments later Edward emerged from the bathroom his hair slightly damp from running his wet hands through it to try and tame it. She now noticed that he was dressed in a grey suit and his tie was an emerald green that matched his eyes. His eyes popped against his dark lashes. Bella's heart quickened and her palms grew moist staring up at him. She felt like a fool for having these reactions to him. Perhaps it was that damn book she was reading messing with her mind. The main character in the book reminded her a little of Edward at least with his mood swings.

Edward offered her his arm. Bella accepted it feeling sorry for her behavior. While they walked through the halls and down the grand staircase of the hotel, Bella saw sadness in Edward's eyes. His eyes were drawn down and his face held a longing sadness. She had never seen him like this. She had seen him happy, angry, mad even livid but never sad. She decided that she was going to earn her money tonight. She would be the perfect girlfriend and make him enjoy this happy occasion. When they entered the room for the ceremony there were emerald green and light pink flowers everywhere. It was breathtaking. Every detail was thought of from the ties on the chairs to the elaborate vines hanging over the altar with pink flowers. It was like something out of a fairytale and it was smack dab in the middle of a fancy hotel. Edward's sister Alice came bouncing over in a light pink bridesmaids dress with an emerald green belt and sash. She looked like a pixie princess. Alice's hair was done neatly instead of its usual spiky style. She had pink flowers in her hair and light makeup on.

"Edward you have to start seating people. Here I'll show Bella where to sit," Bella quickly glanced down and noticed that Edward's tie matched Alice's sash and belt. They were both in the wedding. She looked around and saw Emmett in the same grey suit and green tie that Edward wore. They looked too adorable dressed the same. You could tell the differences in their body style watching the two men walk next to one another. They were almost identical in height except Emmet was much broader and had a wider stance. Whereas Edward was leaner but still muscular, he carried himself in his height rather than his girth. Bella could see where Emmett was definitely attractive, gorgeous even but she preferred Edward's lean long limbs. She couldn't help the feelings she used to have for him bubbling to the surface. In high school she had longed for him countless times. He was your classic all American boy. She knew he was innocent and a virgin when they met and after she started showing he treated her differently. Bella had raging hormones while she was pregnant and often found herself at home under the covers pleasuring herself to Edward's football or baseball picture from one of the school news papers. She tried to remember the way he would twirl her hair and the touch of his hand on her arm, all of which he had ceased to do once he found out about her situation.

Bella was pulled from her memories by Alice's vice grip on her wrist as she led her through the crowded isle of the room. People were scattered about hugging and catching up on their lives. Alice led her to the second row of seats on the bride's side of the room.

"Here have a seat, Rose will be right over she had to call and check on the kids. Edward will be here when the ceremony start. You look lovely by the way. The green suits you. I hope you don't' mind I wanted you to match the rest of us," Bella glanced down and fingered the emerald green dress that Alice had insisted she wear. She was grateful to fit in and not stick out with the black dress she had planned on wearing.

"Thank you Alice, it's beautiful. You look lovely," Bella was shy in her response. She appreciated Alice's exuberance in everything but it made her nervous. She felt like she was constantly being judged or watched by the Cullen women.

The ceremony began a short while later and Edward joined her along with Emmett and Jasper who were all dressed the same. Esme and Carlisle were seated in the isle in front of them next to Carlisle's sister who was the mother of the bride. Kate the bride looked like an absolute beauty in her white dress with pink flowers cascading down her gown. Her groom, Garrett was equally handsome in his grey tux with emerald vest and tie.

Rose sat next to Bella with Edward on the other side. The two of them took turns pointing out who was who how everyone was related. Bella was a little overwhelmed but kept a smile on her face and held Edward's hand tightly. Esme would steal little glances back at Edward and Bella during the ceremony. She had a tissue planted in her fingers that dabbed at her eyes. Bella wasn't expecting to cry but when the groom started to tear up and inconspicuously wipe a tear from his cheek the room erupted into a quiet ahh. Bella felt her eyes water and she tried to hold it back but a few tears escaped down her cheek. She was glancing at Rose to see if she had a tissue Bella might use but she was caught off guard when an emerald green handkerchief started blotting lighting on her cheeks. Bella took the offered fabric and mouthed a thank you to Edward who was gazing down at her also with misty eyes. Edward's eyes met Bella's and he quickly sat up and returned his attention to the bride and groom.

Edward sat there stiff as a board but still holding Bella's hand. He could practically see the gears turning in his mother's head as she no doubt was planning his and Bella's wedding already. He hadn't thought that far into this plan of his. He didn't want to hurt his mother. He was going to fake a broken heart when Bella moved back to San Francisco and that would at least buy him a year or so before his mother started pestering him about marriage again. Yes it was perfect. Bella would move back to San Francisco and taking Edward's 'broken' heart with her, leaving Edward free of countless blind dates from his mother. His mother would understand that he needed time to heal and what not. But the thought of Bella leaving left a hollow ache in his heart. His hand tightened around hers gripping it for dear life as if she would disappear if he let go. Bella brought her free hand up to lightly stroke Edward's white knuckles, he was hurting her hand. Edward's grip loosened at her light touch and he smiled down at her.

After the ceremony the guests were led to the next room that was set up as a cocktail hour before the reception started. People mingled together discussing the ceremony and the bride's dress. Everyone was so excited and loud. Bella couldn't help but fall right into step with them as she and Alice gushed over how sweet Garrett was and how handsome he looked. They talked and drank cocktails until they were ushered into the reception hall that was decorated with more emerald and pink flowers. There was a large dance floor in the middle of the room. The room smelled of fresh flowers and the crisp night air. After everyone was seated the Wedding planner announced the bride and groom. The entire room erupted into a loud applause and congratulations. After everyone was seated at the main table that held the wedding party the food was served. It was a simple meal but prepared beautifully and smelled amazing. The chicken was tender and juicy. The vegetables were crisp and steaming. The bread was freshly baked and butter melted the instant your knife touched it. Champagne flowed throughout the night and laughter filler the air. Belle began to relax and enjoy a conversation here and there with various people. She felt Edward's arm on the back of her chair often as he leaned over to comment on something someone had said or to answer a question. Bella and Edward had their story down packed when asked how they met and how long they had been dating.

"I came into the diner and there she was, my lab partner from junior year. She was just as beautiful and I couldn't let her slip away again. So I asked her out and the rest is history. We've only been dating a few weeks, we're getting to know each other all over again," They would conclude with a smile at one another and that would satisfy whoever had questioned them. Bella and Edward giggle quietly to one another after someone bought their little lie. They were shocked that everyone just accepted it. Though it wasn't quite that far fetched of a tale.

As the evening wore on the cake was cut and served. The couple had their first dance joined by the rest of the guests soon after. Bella danced with Edward and smiled up at him. He was a good dancer. When Alice took Bella and Rose to the restroom they chatted about the silly things some of the rather more inebriated guests had done or said. One uncle of the groom was passed out on a row of chairs where the groomsmen were decorating him with flowers and cake on his face. Bella returned to their table searching for Edward only to find him on the dance floor with his mother in his arms. She was following his steps perfectly as the two glided along the tiled floor. The song was slow and gentle. Bella stood there for a moment or two and studied the pair who looked at one another with love filled eyes. It was the way that Bella looked at her father and him her. Bella could feel the love that they shared and immediately understood why Edward was going through all of this to appease his mother. He simple wanted her to be happy. Gone was the guilt at lying and deceiving Esme. She also would now do anything to see Esme light up the way she did now.

The song ended and Edward bowed graciously to his mother and kissed her hand. He led her to his father. Edward returned to the table and downed his drink. Bella leaned over the table and drank hers as well. She caught a glimpse of humor in Edward's eyes as his lips drew up into a mischievous smile.

"Game on Swan," he stated and guided her over to the open bar. She immediately knew that they were getting drunk. There was no question about it. She was going to show him who could hold their liquor. For the next hour and a half Bella and Edward were planted at the bar downing shots and cocktails. Every so often a song would come on and Bella would insist on dancing. Edward teased her saying that she just couldn't handle another drink and needed time to regroup. Bella just wanted to dance. The music turned from slow classical to more up to date music and funny songs. The chicken dance, humpty dance and even the sir mix a lot favorite 'baby got back' played as the evening wore on. Most of the older guests including Esme and Carlisle had gone up to their rooms to retire for the night. The bride and groom dance into the night grinding and pawing at one another. Bella flushed crimson when she saw the bride bent over with her ass in the air grinding into the groom's groin.

Bella was not able to bring herself to mimic the movements but she held her own and swiveled her hips into Edward's body. She felt his hands gripping her and guiding her as they danced to the faster songs. She felt the graze of his arousal more than once as a body part came in contact with him. Edward's eyes would close and he would adjust their position so that Bella was no longer in that particular vicinity. Bella got a thrill out of knowing that he was aroused. She wanted to find out what all of the fuss was about. She had heard rumors senior year of girls talking in the locker room about Edward and his mammoth cock. Bella thought that those girls were simply gossiping. Her kind lab partner would never do the things those girls had claimed he had done. But dancing here with him now she wanted to know, she wanted to find out just what was myth and what was truth.

Back at the bar Bella could feel herself reaching her stopping point and she didn't want to be beyond drunk and get sick so she offered Edward a truce. He gladly took it because he was barely able to stop giggling and touching her. Neither of them were tired so they took a walk out on to the patio. Bella took her shoes off and set them under the ledge of the balcony. She took of skipping down the stairs and spinning around flaring her dress out. She grasped her shawl in her hands and spun around and around in the grass near the garden. Edward jogged after her chasing her as she fluttered along from flower to flower and stopping to hold a tree and hide behind. Edward found her each time and she took off again. Bella stopped at the fountain and climbed up onto the ledge. When Edward stopped next to her arms reached out to steady her.

Bella took his hand and began to walk with one foot in front of the other as she circled the fountain enjoying the mist of the water sprinkling her flushed body. She glanced down at the water to judge how deep it was. She let go of Edward's hand and gathered her dress in her hands holding it mid thigh and stepped slowly into the cool water. Edward watching in amazement as she tiptoed through the water once again following the circle around.

"It's simply beautiful here, almost breathtaking," Bella gazed out over the garden with the mist and the fog spreading around the grass.

"Absolutely breathtaking," Edward spoke not remembering he opened his mouth as he gazed at Bella standing in the fountain her hair swinging in the wind. The moist tendrils sticking to her neck and shoulders. Her skin glowed from the moisture and the light of the moon. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her lips were pink and plump. Her huge brown eyes shown with wonder and excitement. Edward's heart was fluttering in his chest.

"Come, help me out," Bella held her dress in one hand and held the other out for Edward to take. He surprised her by reaching into the fountain and picking her up by the waist. He lifted her up and out of the fountain, setting her down next to him in the grass. Bella released her dress and spun around to fluff it out. She grabbed Edward's hand and she led him farther into the garden where they found a bench to sit.

"This was fun, are you having a good time tonight?" Bella asked brightly. She was happy to see his sad face gone now replaced with laughter and smiles.

"Yes, I appreciate you coming and dancing with me. My mother is so happy," Edward looked out into the night and thought 'and so am I'.

"You love your mother; I understand now why you want her to be happy. I don't think it's so terrible anymore. You are a good son," Bella stood up and led Edward back to the patio where she put on her shoes.

After entering the ballroom they noticed that there were very few people left. They decided to head to their room and call it a night. It was nearly two in the morning. Once in the room Bella excused herself to the bathroom with her bag. She quickly took a shower and changed into her long night shirt. She hadn't expected to be sharing abed with Edward when she packed this, if so she would have opted for a pajama set with pants instead. Bella was still giggling as she returned to the bedroom and found Edward sprawled out on the floor on the comforter with a pillow. He was holding his clothes and toothbrush in his hands. He hopped up and went into the bathroom and also took a quick shower. He returned to the bedroom where Bella had put his pillow and the comforter back on the bed.

"Are you sure?" He asked. He didn't want to pressure her. She was obviously mad earlier at their sleeping arrangements. The evening had been a complete success and he didn't want it to end on an argument over sleeping arrangements.

"We're not having sex, but we are both adults and can certainly share a bed without killing each other can't we." Bella smiled at him as she climbed under the covers making sure to keep her nightgown pulled down to her knees.

"I wasn't assuming we were, I just didn't want to make you uncomfortable," Edward slid in next to her in his pajama pants and t—shirt.

"Are you going to sleep right away?" Bella asked as she picked up her i-pad to read a bit. Her shower had sobered her up quite a bit and she wasn't the least bit sleepy.

"No, if you want to read go ahead I'm going to watch television I guess," Edward clicked the remote and flipped channels settling on some action movie with lots of gun fire and explosions. Bella read silently next to him, she was aware that it was a small bed and they were touching slightly. She appreciated that he was keeping his distance. After about a half an hour Edward turned the television off and turned on his side to face away from her after giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You can keep reading it won't bother me, goodnight Bella and thank you for coming tonight."

A few minutes passed and Bella was consumed by her book. It was an erotic novel and she felt her physical reaction between her legs. She began to wiggle her legs together to alleviate the growing need. She read on and pressed her thighs together as the male character in the book inserted silver balls into the female's vagina. Bella tried to imagine if it would be something she would want to try. The thought intrigued her but she wasn't sure if she would have the guts to actually do it. As the book went on so did Bella's reaction to it. She pressed her thighs together tighter and wiggled in the bed. She wanted the arousal to stop but she couldn't bear to put the book down, she wanted to know what happened next.

"Do you have to pee or something?" Edward asked turning over and glaring at her. Her wiggling was keeping him up. He let it go the first few times but she kept moving and shifting. Her leg kept brushing against him and it was keeping him awake. He wanted to go to sleep. He knew if he stayed awake next to her any longer he wouldn't be able to keep his hands or his mouth to himself anymore. He wanted her in every way. The smell of her freshly washed skin and the mix of her shampoo had Edward's hormones racing. Not to mention her nightgown and how it clung to her braless chest.

"Yes, sorry," Bella put the i-pad away and padded into the bathroom to wipe away the evidence of her arousal. She washed her hands and returned to the bed ready to go to sleep. Edward's nose twitched as the scent of arousal filled the small bedroom. His body reacted in accordance and he shifted to adjust his growing errection. Bella returned to lay on her back with Edward once again on his side facing away from her. She thought about the book and what might happen next. She tried to go to sleep. She closed her eyes and her mind still wandered to the events in the book. The movie in her head played over and over but instead of the characters in her mind it was her and Edward acting out the pages she had just read. Without her knowledge her legs wiggle again and her thighs pressed together. She was unaware that Edward had rolled over and was now on his side facing her. She opened her eyes when she felt a light touch flutter across her face. She turned her head to stare up into the most beautiful emerald green eyes. Her lips parted and her mouth went dry.

"What's wrong?" He asked her. His eyes following the blush that soaked her cheeks and neck leading down under her nightgown and landed on her pebbled nipples straining against the thing fabric. Bella closed her eyes as he breath deepened.

"Nothing," Her voice was low and came out filled with air. Edward's eyes darkened as they flowed over her body once again. He hadn't been with that many women but he knew the signs and the smells. Bella was turned on and finding it difficult to suppress her need. The thought excited Edward and he wanted to satisfy her. He wanted nothing more than to see her face and delicate features squish up and contort from an orgasm that he gave her.

With his head propped up on his left hand he studied her. Her eyes were closed again and her hands were clenching at the blankets. Her hips were making tiny thrusts in the air towards a relief that wasn't there. Bella could feel his eyes on her as she laid there trying to stay still but still feeling the throbbing of her heartbeat between her legs. She wished he would just roll over and she would go to the bathroom and finally take care of it if she had to. It wasn't something she did often and usually she had the assistance of a battery operated friend but right now it seemed her only option.

"Are you going to stare at me all night or are you going to bed," Bella asked through clenched teeth. Clearly every muscle on her body was clenched and in need of relief. Her eyebrows were drawn together and her jaw was clenched. She was breathtaking if not gorgeous like this.

"Do you trust me?" Edward asked her reaching his hand up to lightly caress her neck and collarbone. He felt and saw Bella take a large swallow and close her eyes.

"S-some times," she stuttered out keeping her eyes closed to avoid his penetrating stare.

"Will you trust me tonight?" He asked, his voice was husky and full of longing. Bella's eyes snapped open in panic she wasn't ready to have sex with him. She just couldn't it would make her feel cheap and most absolutely there would be no doubt that she was now a prostitute.

"Relax," Edward moved his hand gently grazing her nipples over her nightshirt as they descended her body. "No sex Bella, just relax."

Bella leaned her head back and closed her eyes as his hand slid under the covers and her nightgown was moved up to her hips. She felt his warm fingers lightly grazing her skin and she was immediately on fire. His hand massaged and cupped her moist warm center. Her legs parted automatically, knees bending and spreading her legs wider to allow him access. A small moan escaped her lips and Edward's eyes stayed glued to face as he continued his exploration. He watched her face for any signs of discomfort or rejection. He didn't want to cross any lines she had drawn. He took a chance and slid his hand inside of the waistband of her panties. Her curls were soft and slippery from her moisture. Yes his assumptions were correct she was definitely turned on.

Bella kept her eyes closed the entire time not wanted to be any more embarrassed than she already was. She felt everything. She felt his eyes studying her face, his breath that spread across her skin and his fingers slowly spreading her curls in search of her center.

Edward's long fingers found the source of the moisture and began to spread it up and down her entrance. Bella's hips wiggled and thrust up into his hands. She gripped the sheet tighter in her fingers; her body was aching for him to find her button. Edward's finger found her clitoris and a loud moan escaped Bella's lips and spread a smile across Edward's. He continued to swirl his fingers around her swollen nub spreading her moisture around. His other fingers continued to stroke up and down her entrance swirling every so often and almost dipping inside. Edward wasn't sure if he should insert a finger or not he didn't want to scare her or cross any undrawn lines. He thought of this much like when he played the piano. His fingers were strong and steady, every touch and movement was direct and precise. Edward continued to watch Bella's face tighten and her limbs started to shake. He knew she was close her chest was rising and falling rhythmically. Bella reached her arms up and grabbed Edwards shoulder bringing him down on top of her chest. His arm was still free and his fingers continued their pleasuring. Bella's hands clung to his shoulder and his arm holding it in place pressed against her body as if she were afraid the pleasure would stop if she let go. He felt her ragged breathing against his neck where her mouth was only inches away. He did notice that his head was pressed into her left breast and he was now staring at a taught nipple through thing fabric.

"Please," Bella begged. "In." Edward wasn't sure if she meant what he thought she meant. He moved his thumb to take over spreading the now growing moisture over her aroused clitoris and his fingers swirled around her entrance waiting for permission. Bella's hips thrust up a few times once taking a finger. Edward withdrew it quickly afraid he had done something wrong when her hand left his right shoulder and slid firmly down his arm.

"P-please Edward In, put it in," Bella's voice was husky and shaking as he hand firmly rested over his in her panties. He felt her small hand push one of his fingers all of the way inside of her. Edward took the hint and moved his finger in and out meeting her thrusting hips. He kept his thumb moving and flattened his palm against her curls as he inserted two of his longest fingers all of the way in and pressed as far as they could go. His middle finger began to swirl inside of her warm snug vagina resulting in a loud moan and teeth now pressed into Edward's shoulder. Bella's entire body was curved up into Edward's embrace. Her arm was wrapped around him holding him in place, her face buried in his shoulder. He felt the tickle of her hair cascading down the side of his face. His eyes were closed absorbing all of the sensations of touch, smell and sound erupting in the room.

Edward's middling finger curled up and massaged her canal releasing her orgasm as her walls clamped down around his fingers. He felt her button throb against his thumb. Her thighs closed and trapped his arm as he left arm wrapped around him crushing him to her and holding him in place.

"Don't move," Bella requested through a shaky breath. Her entire body was tightly coiled and her inner walls continued to spasm around his fingers. She continued to chant against his shoulder.

"Don't move, oh shit don't move, fuck," Edward froze every bone in his body. His thumb firming pressed against her nub and his fingers stilled inside of her as she quaked in his arms. His eyes opened and he was literally trapped against her body. Edward felt her body shake and tremble and then soft lips kissed his shoulder where there had previously been teeth digging into his skin. Bella's body relaxed and her inner spasms subsided. He wiggled his fingers inside of her not sure if he should continue for another or if she was done.

Bella's legs parted allowing his arm room to move. She extracted his hand from her panties and set it on top of the cover. Edward stared down at her limp body. Her face was relaxed; her body wiggled and stretched out. She was even more beautiful post coital than in the garden. Her face was pink, kissed by blush. Her lips were pinker and plumper. He could see the teeth marks from where she had been biting back her responses. Edward felt the need to use the bathroom suddenly and got up to take care of himself. In the bathroom with her juices still spread over his fingers and the smell of her on him it took less than two minutes for him find relief. He wiped himself clean with toilet paper and washed his hands and face. He stared into the mirror with a lopsided lazy grin. Edward entered the bedroom and slid into the bed facing Bella who was still sprawled out limbs everywhere unable to move. She was clearly spent and her limbs felt like jell-o.

"Thank you," she responded to his intense stare.

Edward kissed her lightly on the forehead and snuggled into his pillow to fall asleep facing her with the scent of her filling his lungs as he drifted off to sleep. "Consider it a bonus to go along with your raise."

_**A/N: Reviews are almost as good as a bonus from Edward.**_


	6. Chapter 6

Rent-A-Life

Chapter 6

The next morning Bella woke up early and packed up her things quickly. She was quiet and moved through the room like a mouse. She was dreading the morning after talk. She was embarrassed about last night and her obvious need for release. It had been so long since her last orgasm. It was something she had been craving more and more recently. She just never found the time to satisfy herself. She was either too tired or was afraid that Jake or her dad might hear her. Bella decided to take her bag downstairs and wait for the rest of the Cullens. She found Alice, Rose and Esme out on the patio near the breakfast bar sipping coffee.

"Well someone looks well rested and relaxed this morning," Bella felt her cheeks heat up at Rose's observation. Bella could feel Esme's eyes on her studying every inch of her face and body. Esme smiled and gestured for Bella to join them.

"Yes thank you, I slept well, are your men still sleeping?" Bella asked as she took a seat with her now full plate of food.

"Jasper and Dad went to swing a few clubs early this morning and Emmett is still passed out snoring his head off," Rosalie answered.

After chatting with the women about the wedding and reception for a while Rose excused herself to fetch Emmett. Alice looked at Bella expectantly. Bella sat there for a few minutes chatting with Esme before it dawned on her that she should probably fetch Edward as well. When she got back to the room it was empty and all of his belongings were gone. There was a crisp one hundred dollar bill on the dresser under the remote control for the television. Edward had tipped the maid. Bella's heart swelled at how considerate he was. She glanced around the room for anything she might have left and to see if there was anything embarrassing. Feigning her curiosity Bella leaned over the comforter and sniffed it while glancing back and forth to make sure that no one was watching her. She got a small hint of her arousal and quickly fled the room. Her cheeks flushed as she made her way downstairs. She was glad that her name was not on the receipt for the room. It was as if everyone she saw knew what she had done last night. Bella found the ladies once again in the lobby huddled together whispering. When Bella approached they ceased their chatter and all three smiled brightly at her. She looked at them confused and returned their smiles. Rose walked passed her and nudged her with her elbow giving her a wide grin and lifting her eyebrows up and down. Alice passed Bella and patted her shoulder also wagging her eyebrows at her. Esme stopped next to Bella and entwined her arm through Bella's and led her outside where the men were waiting by the limo loading bags. "I don't want to know what you did, but thank you, he's radiating happiness and I owe you for that." Esme patted Bella's hand and excused herself to greet her husband.

Bella took one look at Edward and he was beaming with happiness as he talked with his brother and helped him load the car. Edward's eyes were alight with joy and his smile spread across his face. He waved his hands around animatedly and gestured to make a point to Emmett. Clearly they were bickering about how to fit the bags in the trunk. It seems that Esme and Alice had done some shopping. Bella slid into the limo quickly avoiding Edward. He had not noticed her yet and she was thankful. Edward was the last to enter the car. He sat next to Bella and took her hand in his stroking it gently. She knew it was game time and she took a glance into his eyes and saw nothing but pure bliss. She didn't understand why he was so happy. He wasn't the one who received a life altering orgasm last night, she was. Was he being cocky because of his skilled fingers or had something else made him this ecstatic? Bella wanted to know. She was curious and didn't like not knowing why he was so happy. She liked it but she wanted to understand it.

Edward put his arm around her and drew her closer to his side. The rest of the couples were together in their own worlds. Or at least they appeared to be. Esme gave the illusion that she was reading a book but her eyes darted from under her reading spectacles to glance at Edward and Bella ever so often.

"How did you sleep?" Edward ran his fingers up and down lightly on Bella's arm. The action was causing her entire body to react. She was well aware of the rest of his family in the car and didn't think it the best idea for a repeat performance of last night to happen in the limo.

"Very well thank you, and you?" Bella entwined their fingers to cease his fingers from causing anymore reactions from her.

"I didn't get a wink, you talk too much, and you kept trying to hump me," Edward whispered in her ear. Bella's eyes shot wide open and she turned to glare at him. She did remember waking up next to Edward with her body pressed against him and one of her legs flung over his hip.

"I did no such thing, now hush," Bella leaned her back into his chest and turned away from him. She was still aware of their audience. Bella snuggled her back against Edward's chest and tilted her head to rest on his shoulder. She was going to take a nap. Edward encircled her body with his arms and held her to him. He leaned his head on her shoulder and nibbled on her exposed skin near her neck. He moved her hair out of the way and ran his nose along her neck and back to her shoulder. He did this for a couple of minutes driving Bella mad with desire. He knew the reaction she was having. He saw her legs wiggle and press together.

"Edward didn't you get enough last night leave the poor girl alone," Emmet boomed through the car tossing a balled up napkin at his brother's head. Bella flushed pink and buried her head behind Edward's shoulder. She was thankful that Edward had stopped but embarrassed by Emmett's assumptions.

"Emmett!" Esme gave her older son a stern look of disapproval. Emmett shrugged his shoulders and went back to his wife who smacked him on the back of the head. Everyone erupted into laughter while Emmett scowled at his mother and wife.

When the limo pulled up to Bella's house first she said her goodbyes and thank you's to Esme and Carlisle and quickly exited the car. Edward retrieved her bags from the trunk and turned to walk her to her door.

"You can't walk me to the door Jake is right there peering through the curtains," Bella wasn't ready to try and explain her twisted friendship with Edward to her son. Edward glanced back at the car knowing his mother was watching them. Edward glanced back up at the porch and sure enough there was Jake's head poking through the window waving wildly at his mother. It only took a second before he locked eyes with Edward and disappeared from the window. Edward was almost relieved until the door flung open and Jake came barreling down the walkway in his batman pajamas and no socks or shoes. Jake's young body crashed into Bella knocking her back a few feet. He enveloped her in a hug. Edward saw Bella's facial features change instantly. She was joyous. Her eyes were bright with laughter as she hugged her son back. There was so much love emanating from her towards her son Edward immediately hated himself or his high school self for despising the growing baby in Bella's stomach all those years ago. It was clear that the woman today that he was falling in love with wouldn't be who she was without Jake.

A loud voice brought Edward, Bella and Jake to turn to the limo. "Is that the kid that puked on my jersey? That's him, he's a fucking beast," Emmett climbed out of the limo to survey the kid.

"Emmet, watch your language," Bella scolded clearly in mother mode now. It was only a matter of seconds before the entire Cullen and Whitlock clan were standing around outside catching up with Charlie, Jake and Bella. Edward felt himself pushed to the side and leaned against the car watching the scene unfold.

"Ten bucks?" Jake held out his hand to Emmett. "It's ten bucks for the F-bomb"

Emmett looked confused and looked to Bella for guidance. Bella shrugged her shoulders and rubbed her fingers together and glared at him jokingly. Emmett huffed out air from his lungs and glared at the waiting kid. This was unbelievable. He understood not liking people cussing in front of your kids but to have to pay them.

"Here kid and just remember that you're the one that puked on #53's jersey," Emmett handed Jake the ten dollar bill and turned to talk to Bella. He wasn't able to get a word out before a strong small hand grasped his arm to turn him around.

"Your-your Emmett Cullen?" Jake shrieked jumping up and down. Emmett immediately turned on his hometown celebrity façade and ate up all the attention the boy was showering on him. Emmett followed Jake into the house to sign some paper Jake was babbling about.

"We're going to be here forever," Rose commented climbing back into the limo to wait impatiently for her husband.

Esme watched in amusement and smiled at Bella. Edward took this opportunity to pull Bella aside and at least pay her the money he owed her. When they were safely secure next to the tree in the front yard and away from prying ears, he handed her a thick envelope with her name scribbled across. Bella's cheeks flushed and she looked up into his eyes.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Thank you." Her voice was quiet and soft, she was nervous about what happened last night. "I'm sorry about last night, I should have at least reciprocated," Bella hung her head in embarrassment. Edward brought his knuckle under her chin to tilt her head back up so he could see her beautiful eyes and her blush.

"Bella, last night was honestly a dream come true for me. I've wanted to do that sine the third week of junior year," Edward kissed her lightly on her cheek and returned to the limo. Emmett returned a few moments later with Jake trailing behind still talking adamantly about some sports statistic and game that Emmett had won years ago. Jake came bounding over to his mother squealing with joy.

"I got his e-mail address, he said I could e-mail him and he would come to my first game. Wow did you get to spend the whole weekend with him?" Jake questioned his mother as they walked towards the house.

"No Jake I'm a fan of the other Cullen," Jake shrugged his shoulders and sped off into the house with his mother's luggage.

The next few weeks went by in a flash for both the Cullen's and the Swan's. The summer was coming to an end, Jake was excited about starting a new school in his pop's town and Edward and Bella had developed a casual friendship. They had yet to hang out or go on anymore dates but shared an ongoing text chat. Edward would text Bella about weird things he saw at work and strange things that happened at the hospital. He was so desperate to stay in contact with her he began regaling the town's gossip that his brother told him. Bella was still very nervous around Edward when he came into the diner. She would feel herself blush profusely and she could never look into his eyes for more than a moment. She smiled unable to stop when Edward was around. Every time he was in the diner Bella watched his fingers as they drummed on the table as he chatted with Emmett who took forever to get the story out. She watched them fold a piece of paper into a paper football one afternoon as he sat with Jake and Charlie in a booth. On one occasion Edward followed her line of sight and figured out what had captured her attention. He started to spin his spoon in his fingers much like a baton. He saw Bella's eyes follow his digits as he raised his hand and lowered it. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as Bella squirmed as she stood there behind the counter. A moment later Bella was entering the ladies room.

When Bella returned to his table where he was sitting alone she once again found her eyes trained on his fingers. The ache in her core was no less after she had to wipe away her physical reaction to him. Edward spun a sugar packet on the table and stared at her eyes that refused to meet his. He pulled her by her waist to sit next to him in the booth. His arms came around her waist pulling her closer to him. He began to whisper in her ear.

"I want to see you, are you free after work?" Edward asked while he drummed his fingers on her arm lightly. He saw her throat gulp as she watches his fingers carefully.

"Um-Jake and I are going shopping for school clothes, you can come if you don't mind the mall," Bella offered still staring at his fingers. This wasn't exactly the evening Edward had planned but it had been nearly three weeks and he had yet to have a reason to need Bella for any event.

"What time?" He asked nuzzling her neck and inhaling her strawberry smell.

"I get off at three," She whispered. Edward wiggled his fingers in front of her face. "I can help with that."

Bella blushed and quickly got up and returned to her other tables. Edward paid his bill at the counter. He gave Bella friendly wave with a wiggle of his fingers as he exited the diner. He saw her duck her head and her cheeks flush. In his car on the way to his condo Edward couldn't help the smile plastered on his face. He missed her so much. He wanted to be near her nonstop. He quickly called his mother and asked her if she was going to have an end of summer cook-out this year or if Emmett was hosting it. He knew mentioning any type of party or event and his mother would spin into overdrive planning and delegating. He was manipulating and he didn't give a damn. He needed a family function sooner to get Bella to spend more time with him. He knew she enjoyed chatting with him and she smiled and blushed when they were together. It was just like high school all over again. This time Edward wasn't going to let anything get in his way of making Bella his. He had just not figured out a way to end the agreement. The fear of rejection hung too heavy over his head. He felt he needed more time for her to like him more. She hadn't sought him out at all, it was always him finding her or texting her. He wanted to be sure that she just wasn't appeasing him because he was paying her for her time. He wanted her to willingly seek out his attention.

Promptly at three o'clock Edward was outside of the Swan residence leaning against his car waiting for Bella to get home from work. He had the evening all planned out in his head. They would shop for school clothes for Jake, catch a bite to eat and Edward would whisk Bella off for some alone time leaving Jake with Charlie for the night. Edward was not aware of what went into school shopping.

Edward insisted on driving and once again Jake was in the front seat with Bella in the back seat going over Jake's school list. The mall was only thirty minutes away and Edward found a good parking place. His day was going according to plan. The first stop was Aeropastale because Bella had a coupon. Thirty minutes later, Edward was leaning with his back against the wall across from the dressing room while Bella tried to help her son put his belt on.

"Jake move your hands, you're going to have to do this yourself soon," Bella slipped through the door and stood by Edward. She glanced up at him and smiled shyly. She was still very shy and nervous around him. Every time she looked into his eyes she could feel his fingers deep inside of her. She was still reading that erotic book that led to her embarrassing night with Edward and couldn't bring herself to read more than a few pages at a time before she had to stop and think of Edward. Thinking of Edward always led to daydreaming and the fantasies in her mind overtook her need to find out what happened next in her book.

"Tada!" Jake emerged from the dressing room. He was wearing a plaid shirt and khaki pants with a belt. He looked older and taller than when Edward had first met him a couple months ago. Had it been that long? It didn't seem like it had been that long. Spending time with Bella always flew by and Edward never felt like it was enough.

"Alright now the next one, hurry up," Bella instructed. She went to the racks and picked out a few different colors of the same clothes that Jake had tried on and duplicates of those in the next two sizes up. Edward didn't completely understand what was happening so he decided to participate a little more instead of just holding things Bella put in his arms. Maybe shopping wasn't the best way to spend time with her.

"Why does he need the same shirt in three different sizes and colors?" Edward asked resting his chin on her shoulder peeking at the rack she was flipping through.

"Because, I have a coupon and he's going to grow at least two or three sizes throughout the school year, so why come back and pay more when I can get 30% off now and its tax free this week," Bella tapped her coupon on Edward's nose and told him to hold this.

"That makes sense," Edward held the coupon along with all of the other clothing items she dumped into his arms.

"It's too short," Jake came out of the changing room tugging at the pants and hopping on one leg.

"Well then take it off and put your clothes back on," Bella rolled her eyes when Jake was back behind the closed door. She couldn't understand why he didn't follow her directions and say it fit or it didn't. Why did he have to come out each time to show her it was small or short? She felt that he just liked the attention and was showing off for Edward.

After Bella paid for their purchases the three of them made their way to Foot Locker for shoes with Edward carrying the bags and trailing behind. It took Jake almost twenty minutes for Jake to find a pair of tennis shoes that he liked claiming that a certain ball player had them and it would make him shoot the ball higher. Bella compromised that he could get those as long as he got two pairs of nicer shoes as well.

Once again the trio trailed through the mall with Edward carrying the bags walking slower behind them. Edward enjoyed seeing Bella laugh with Jake. He didn't mind carrying the bags but he had planned to have her alone by now. It was nearly six o'clock and he was wondering if the day was going to end how he had hoped it would. Jake ran towards Dick's sporting goods and got lost in the baseball isle while Bella grabbed a shopping cart.

"Here, let's put the bags in here, I never knew shopping with a man could be this much fun," Bella laughed as Edward heaved the bags into the cart. He was relieved to have his hands free to hold Bella's hand. She swatted him away and gave him a stern look.

"Not in front of Jake," She scolded quietly. Edward smiled slyly at her. She had said not in front of Jake, she had not rejected his advances altogether. That was a positive sign.

Bella took out Jake's school list and checked off different items as she tossed them in the cart, socks, cleats, knee pads, shin guards, baseball glove, etc . . . JOCK STRAP? Bella double checked the list and started biting her lip. She glanced up and down the aisle searching for some assistance and came up with nothing. Jake was picking up bats and swinging them testing each one out. She picked up one of the packages and turned it over. None of it made any sense to her. She looked over her shoulder at Edward who was watching her. He was always watching her. Whenever she would look up there were his eyes glued to her. It didn't make her uncomfortable exactly she just didn't know what to do. She had only ever been with one man and only a few times at that. Edward was the only other man other than Jake's father who had touched her down there. He was the only person ever to insert his finger inside of her body. The thought made her heat quicken and her core moisten. She shook her head and walked over to Edward.

"What's the difference?" She held up the athletic cup waving it in Edward's face. He broke out into a laugh and took it from her holding it down lower. After examining a few of the packages Edward handed her the OX Athletic Pee Wee cup. Bella giggled at the name and tossed it in the cart.

"Did you have to wear a pee wee cup when you were ten?" Bella asked while she looked at mouth guards.

"That's a personal question," Edward turned his face away from Bella and tried to stop smiling.

"Oh please your fingers have been inside of me, how much more personal can you get?" Bella immediately felt the embarrassment of her statement too late and hung her head to avoid his gaze. It was getting harder and harder to bite her tongue around him. She was becoming more comfortable and her filter was ripping to shreds the more they talked and got to know each other.

"I can think of a few things that would be more personal, for instance if my tongue was swirling inside of you, that would be more personal, if my dick was pumping in and out of you that would be more personal than just my fingers," Edward whispered his response into hear ear letting his breath fan out across her neck. He could tell the moment Bella stopped breathing and her knuckles turned white as she gripped the cart. Bella's head snapped around and her eyes were wide as she looked up into Edwards'.

At that exact moment Jake came running from the other side of the store carrying a bat and a football. He tossed them into the cart and stared at his mother and Edward glancing back and forth between the two. Jake stood there a moment and had an idea. He could tell his mother liked Edward a lot more than she had ever liked any man before. Jake had seen countless fathers of his friends try and hit on his mother. His mom never reacted to them the way she did when Edward was around. Jake wasn't sure if he liked it or not. He liked Edward but his mother was much quieter and she blushed a lot when he was around.

"If you two get married will Emmett be my uncle?" Jake blurted out staring between the two. Bella's eyes popped open and she looked at her son in shock. Edward's face drew into a wide smile.

"Yes," Edward said. "We're just friends" Bella said at the same time. The two adults turned to look at one another both confused. Edward clearly wanted more but Bella had said they were just friends. Edward felt the features in his face fall and the light in his chest dim. He couldn't meet her eyes after hearing her rejection said out loud. Bella approached her son and put her arm around his shoulders as they took the cart to the cashier to check out.

"Jake, Edward and I were friends in high school before you were born and we haven't seen each other in over ten years. We've changed a lot and we are getting to know each other, which we are now. Do you understand?" Bella asked her son.

"Did he know my dad?" Jakes asked.

"No, sweaty, Edward's lived in Forks I didn't know him when I was living in Phoenix," Bella smiled over at her son who helped her put their purchases in the cart. Edward stood back absorbing the conversation and feeling the ache in his chest grow.

"Emmett's married to the blonde lady right?" Jake asked glancing from Bella to Edward. Edward and Bella looked at Jake a little confused by his train of thought and where this conversation was going.'

"Yes, Rose, they have two kids and one on the way." Edward replied.

"So you can't marry Emmett, but you could marry Edward one day." Jake offered his hopeful eyes staring at his mom.

"What's all this talk about marriage for anyway? Are you trying to get rid of me or something?" Bella asked trying to lighten the mood.

"No, but I want to stay in Forks. I don't want to move back to California." Jake confessed.

"We'll talk about that later. Start thinking about dinner it's getting late," mom mode Bella was back and she wasn't entirely comfortable discussing their future living arrangements in front of Edward. After paying the cashier they carried all of the bags out to Edward's car and put them in the trunk. Jake was back to normal chatting away about sports and cartoons. Bella was quiet pondering her future. She liked spending time with Edward but her life was in San Francisco. She had a business there, a house, a life and friends.

Edward was not as playful as he was before and he avoided touching Bella. They still walked next to one another but he didn't reach for her hand like he wanted to. After eating dinner in the food-court of the mall each of them picking a different eatery they made their way to the Staples that was at the other end of the mall.

"Edward, you don't have to tag along if you'd rather be somewhere else, I can come back with Jake later," She was giving him an out. The tension between them was growing. She didn't like to see him look so defeated but she was unable to offer him what she thought he wanted. She knew that Edward had an attraction to her. She knew in high school that he liked her.

"I'm where I want to be," Edward reached for her hand and they entwined their fingers. Once inside the store Jake grabbed a cart and led the way up and down each of the crowded isles. The store was packed and Edward felt out of place. There were groups of parents and kids everywhere either arguing over lists or searching for items. Bella held the list and started planning her attack. The cart began to fill up as they made their way through the store. Bella was thankful for Edward's tall stature as he reached items on higher shelves.

"See that box right there above the hooks. It says 234-697 grab that one," Bella directed Edward what box to take from the overstock. She had a little advantage over the other parents she could match the item number from the barcode on the empty shelf label and see the overstock above. After grabbing the two notebook hole-punches Jake would need she filled the empty hook, leaving the rest for the searching parents. Jake broke took the empty box and put it under the cart.

"Do you work here?" Edward joked.

"They should pay me for filing their shelves," Bella laughed as Edward agreed with her. As they walked through the store filling up the cart they laughed at people and helped a few find what they were looking for. One lady tried to take a particular calculator from Bella's cart when she wasn't looking. Edward gingerly used his skilled fingers to lift it from her grasp and growled at her. Bella twirled around to see what the noise was.

"Did you just growl at her?" Bella asked in shock.

"She was swiping our treasures, I was just guarding our lot," Bella burst into laughter at his seriousness. Edward was taking school shopping serious.

They were now in the electronics section and Bella had decided to purchase a laptop for Jake if only to get him off of hers. It took her a few minutes to find the one she wanted and plucked the ticket from the holder. She tucked it into her pocket and they made their way to the checkout. After totaling their purchase it came to nearly $500.00. Edward looked at the cart and the total and couldn't understand how it was so expensive. Bella laughed at his expression and shook her head. She handed the cashier the slip for the laptop and the cashier left to retrieve it.

"Edward relax this is normal, in fact it's less than last year," Edward shook his head. He now knew why his brother left him with the diner bill so often. Had his parents spent this much money back when he was in school. This was just for Jake; his parents had three of them to provide for. Edward developed a new respect for his parents, Bella and Emmett that day. He understood now why Bella needed the money and was always working. The cashier returned with the laptop box and Jake's voice pierced through the air.

"OH MY GOD! Are you serious? Really? Mom!" Jake shrieked jumping up and down bouncing.

"Calm down, it's for school and to Skype with your friends, no face book, no you-tube," Bella declared. Jake's face fell a little but he held his smile as he nodded in agreement with the terms that accompanied his new laptop.

After they loaded everything into the car, Bella looked over at Edward and noticed that the sparkle in his eyes was gone. He looked nothing like he did a few weeks ago. Her heart ached for him. She knew that he wanted more than she could give him. He deserved someone who could put him first and offer him a real relationship with a real future.

"Mom, can we go to the arcade for a little bit?" Jake pleaded giving his best puppy dog eyes. Bella glanced to Edward, whose eyes lit up at the mention of arcade. Edward looked to Jake and then Bella. He mimicked Jake's puppy dog eyes and pouted his lips.

"Pwease?" Edward asked. Bella threw her hands up in the air defeated.

"Really Edward, puppy eyes and pouty lips, you're a grown man." Bella asked him as they walked towards the arcade in the mall.

"It worked didn't it," Edward wagged his eyebrows at her and she giggle like a high school girl.

After almost 20 minutes in the arcade Bella was bored while Jake and Edward were off together playing games and collecting prize tickets. Bella located both of them neck and neck at a racing game. She leaned over to Edwards's car and whispered in his ear.

"Will you be okay to watch him for a couple minutes, I want to go to a few stores?" Edward waved her off with a grunt of 'uh-huh sure'. Bella left the two to their gaming and made her way to Spencer's Victoria Secret and a few other stores for odds and ends. She was back within 30 minutes and found Jake and Edward cashing in their tickets.

Edward walked away with a few joke toys including a whoopee cushion, fake gum and an invisible ink pen. His eyes light up and he had a smirk plastered across his lips. Jake was carrying a large purple teddy bear and two sports posters.

"Mom, I won you a bear, now you have something to keep you warm at night," Jake handed Bella the bear. "I know you miss Billy but we'll see him next weekend," Jake bounced along towards the exit.

"Awe sweaty that's so nice, thank you," Bella kissed Jake's head and Edward glared at the Bella. Edward caught up quickly to Bella and Jake as they left him behind scowling.

"Who's Billy?" Edward thought it was a boyfriend back in San Francisco and was immediately jealous and angry.

"Our dog, he's an American Pit-Bull he sleeps in bed with me, Jake kicks and I like to cuddle with him. We've had him since he was just a baby. Here look isn't he adorable," Bella handed Edward her phone and he scrolled through several pictures of a dog throughout the years. He was all white and had a black eye like the beer dog from the 80s. Edward was flooded with relief and understanding. He wasn't used to all of these new emotions.

He had dated women in the past and if they found someone else he was never very upset it just wasn't mean to be. But with Bella it was different. He couldn't bear the thought of anyone else touching her or her them. It was the same feelings he had in high school. He hated whoever Jake's father was because he had been with her and in Edward's mind ruined her for him. But now he was older and was over that part of their past.

Edward helped them unload all of the bags from his car and into the house. Charlie was there and had a baseball game on the television. The bags were scattered around the dining room on the chairs and the table. Jake got his book-bag out and started setting up all of his school stuff on the table with his list in hand.

"Edward, sit son," Charlie called from the living room. Edward took a seat on the couch across from Charlie who was on the recliner. Edward took a close look at the Chief and he looked a lot better than he did the last few weeks. His color was healthier and he looked to be maintaining his weight instead of losing it. The two men talked sports and chatted about the teams and likelihood of the World Series.

In the dining room Jake and Bella sorted through their parcels of purchases that day. Jake was eager to join the men and watch the baseball game but his mother made him finish putting his things away first. After all of this clothes were hung up and his school supplies put away, Jake took his new laptop out of the box and set it up on the coffee table in the living room to set up. Edward helped him register his laptop with strict instructions and parental controls from Bella.

"Bella set a place for Edward he's staying for dinner," Charlie yelled from his recliner into the general direction of the kitchen where Bella was preparing dinner.

"Okay," Bella replied. Charlie smiled to Edward who was still helping Jake figure out how to Skype and find his friend's accounts. After the game was over Jake and Charlie settled into watching a cartoon show on the Disney channel that annoyed the hell out of Edward so he excused himself to see if Bella needed any help with dinner.

"Hey Bella, Whatcha doin?" Edward sang as he walked into the kitchen.

"Oh please not you too, that little girl's voice drives me insane. The platypus never talks but he's Jake's favorite. My dad too can you believe a grown man watching cartoons like that. He watches it even if Jake isn't home," Bella was chopping vegetables and tossing them into a pot of boiling water.

"The sister is worse I couldn't take it anymore. Do you need any help?" Edward offered.

"You can set the table and bring my dad a beer," Bella gestured with her elbow to where the plates were kept. Edward found the silverware and glasses with ease as he maneuvered around the kitchen careful not to bump into Bella and her knife.

"It smells amazing what are you making?" Edward sniffed around the pot sneaking a glance over Bella's shoulder.

"It's a chili that's been simmering all day but I add the vegetables and Jake doesn't know the difference he just shovels it in his mouth," Bella held out the spoon full of beefy chili goodness for Edward to taste. She blew on it gently holding her other hand under to catch the dripping. Their eyes were locked while Edward leaned closer and wrapped his lips around the spoon devouring the food. He licked his lips to catch some sauce that was threatening to dribble down the corner of his mouth. Bella's eyes were glued to his tongue and she felt her knees weaken. Bella closed her eyes and set the spoon down giving Edward a chance to escape and set the table.

A few minutes later Edward returned to the kitchen after beering the Chief he tossed the empty can into the recycling bin per Charlie's specific instructions. Edward was also carrying a Spencer's bag and a Victoria's Secret bag. He stood next to the kitchen island and lightly swung the bags back and forth hanging from his fingers. He watched Bella cook as he took a peak in the bags. There in the Spencer's bag was a rather erotic looking package holding a body massager. Edward knew very well that it was not for massaging the outer body parts.

Bella could feel eyes on her. She moved from the pot on the stove to the sink and felt eyes watching her. She knew they were not Jake's and she hesitated before turning around. Clearly it had to be Edward and he was watching her. She turned around slowly expecting him to be shyly watching her like he had been doing all day long. But instead she turned to find a mischievous smile spread across his face. His eyes were twinkling with amusement and the depths held lust and fantasies. Bella's breath hitched when she was his skilled fingers swinging her bags back and forth. She quickly crossed the room as the blush spread from her chest across her cheeks and grabbed the bags from him. She leaped up the stairs to stash the bags in her room. After climbing down from the chair that she kept in her closet to reach the shelf above she turned to find Edward closing her bedroom door.

"Bella, there's something here, between us," Edward stalked closer to her and took her hand in his tugging her out of her closet. He was staring into her eyes searching and pleading for her to feel the same way he did and to admit it out loud.

Bella ducked her head and trained her eyes on their hands locked together, "I know, it's just not the right time."

Edward pulled her swiftly against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. He slid his hand up her body and entangled his fingers in the hair at the nape of her neck. Edward tilted her head up gently to look at him. He lowered his head towards her and tilted it slightly. His eyes closed and her breathing stopped. He was going to kiss her. She knew it and he knew it. It was going to happen right here and now regardless of whether it was a good time or who else was downstairs. Edward's lips lightly touched Bella's. It was soft and gentle. Bella lifted her body up onto her tip toes to reach him better while bringing her hands up to cup his face. His cheeks were rough from not shaving that morning. His lips were cold from drinking the beer. Bella parted her lips and captured upper lip and sucked gently. Edward's arms tightened around her. Bella released his upper lip and gently licked it with the tip of her tongue, taking his bottom lip between her lips and sucking that one farther into her mouth and swirling her tongue over it. Edward released a moan and slid his tongue into her mouth to twirl around her eager tongue.

Edward and Bella flew apart at the sounds of loud thumping footsteps barreling up the stairs. Bella's door flung open and Jake was there staring back and forth between his mother and her friend studying them with a serious look on his face.

"The timer on the oven is beeping," Jake commented looking towards his mother. Bella quickly ran past Jake and down the stairs to get the biscuits out of the oven. Edward turned to leave the room as well but was caught off guard by a small hand stopping him. Jake's hand was on Edward's chest and he gestured for Edward to have a seat. Edward sat on the edge of Bella's bed and subtly wiped his mouth.

"So, friends huh? What are your intentions with my mother?" Jake glared at Edward.

"Well I like your mother a lot and I would like court her," Edward was confident in his decision. He was going to win Bella's heart. The wrong time didn't matter to him. It was the wrong time in high school and it was the wrong time now. When exactly would be the good time?

"Are you going to buy her flowers and candy?" Jake asked still glaring at Edward.

"Yes, among other things. I know she likes to read I was thinking of a book maybe, do you have any suggestions?" Edward figured it was a good idea to have Jake on his side if this courting thing was going to work and end the way Edward wanted it to.

"She hates roses and fruity candy, Tulips and chocolate but not caramel. She is reading some Grey book that my friend's mom told her to read and she seems to like it. Steve said his mom read it and got the next two books right away. So maybe you could get her the next one. There are only three, I told her to read Harry Potter because there are more books and the story would last longer. But mom said that Harry is no Christian and she started blushing," Jake declared and Edward knew exactly what trio of books Bella was reading. He had heard his sister recommend it to his mother and then she to Rose and Emmett said that his wife was 50 shades of pregnant because of Christian Grey.

"So tulips, chocolate and the next Grey book, I can do that," Edward stood to leave and was once again stopped by Jake. Edward sat back down looking Jake in the eye trying to figure out what exactly the next question was going to be.

"So if you are going to date my mom then I have a few requirements, I want to stay and live here in Forks, I want to hang out with Emmett, and I want a little brother to play sports with and a little sister so Leah will leave me alone," Jake had his hands on his hips and was staring Edward down.

"I can give you Emmett and I want her and you to stay in Forks the brother and sister that's up to her," Edward offered his hand out for Jake to shake. Jake stood tall and shook Edward's hand with the strongest grip he could muster.

"I have one requirement to add to that," Charlie's voice came from the doorway where he was watching their exchange. Edward looked to the Chief expectantly waiting for further instructions.

"I agree with Jake, I want her here in Forks, I want more grandkids, and I want her Married before then. Do you understand me son? My daughter deserves the fairytale and if you're the man I know you are, I expect you to give it to her," Charlie offered Edward his hand and Edward stood tall and shook it with all of the strength he could muster.

"Sir I want nothing more than to win Bella's heart and make her happy," Edward held Charlie's eyes with all of the sincerity he had in him.

The three men had come to an agreement and a plan that they would set into motion immediately. Bella called them for dinner and they descended the stairs in age order. Bella looked at the stairs and the men silently took their seats at the table and gave each other stern looks. Bella was confused and still recovering from Edward's kiss. She could feel his lips on hers; she could taste his tongue in her mouth.

After dinner and a light conversation Charlie, Jake and Edward offered to clean up the kitchen while Bella took a shower. When she was done she found all of them in the living room watching a movie. Bella took a seat next to Jake at the end of the sofa. She could feel Jake falling asleep and picked him up in her arms when she heard him lightly snoring.

"Do you want me to take him?" Edward offered.

"No, but thanks, I've got it," Bella carefully carried her too big son up the stairs and set him in his bed. She removed his shoes and tucked him into bed. Bella leaned over and kissed his forehead and smoothed his hair out of his face. She came back downstairs and Charlie was getting up and heading to his room.

"Night Bells, dinner was great, stay and visit with your friend for a bit I think he is waiting to talk to you," Bella kissed her dad on the cheek and watched him ascend the stairs. He was slower than she was used to. In her mind he was a big strong invincible man. To see him so weak broke Bella's heart.

Bella sat down next to Edward who was watching a romantic comedy that Charlie had left on. Bella leaned back into the sofa and curled her legs up against the cushion next to her. She glanced at Edward shyly and then back to the movie. It was nearly ten o'clock and she wasn't sure if it was rude to ask him to leave or if he was planning on overstaying his welcome. Bella wanted him near her but she knew that if he stayed that she was going to do something that they would both regret. Her feet hurt from working, walking around the mall and cooking all day. She hadn't sat down for more than 30 minutes since she woke up this morning. Her feet ached and she flexed her toes and feet stretching them out.

Edward saw her out of the corner of his eyes wiggling her feet. He took a closer look and she looked tired. He thought about their day today and most of it was enjoyable except the parts where he felt rejected. He had thought about how to woo her and what his next move should be. He wasn't tired in fact he was the complete opposite. He was wired awake from kissing her earlier. He longed to do it again. He felt her body shift on the sofa next to him.

Bella had moved to the far corner of the sofa swinging her legs up to stretch out between her and Edward. Her knees were bent and her little feet were twitching and wiggling to burrow under Edward's thigh. He lifted it slightly to allow her access. She smiled at him when he turned to her.

"Are you comfortable?" He asked.

"Yes, thank you my feet are just tired. Do you like the movie?" She asked.

"Not really, we missed the beginning, Are you tired? I can go." Edward offered rising to get up.

"No, you can stay for a little while unless you have to go," As much as she wanted him to go, she couldn't help the feeling that consumed her when he was around. She wanted to be near him.

"Well okay I'll stay then," Edward's face light up a little and he smiled at her brightly. Bella noticed the sparkle in his eyes was back and she couldn't understand how it could vanish one moment and then be back the next.

"Edward, I'm sorry for leading you on earlier, I find you extremely attractive and I find it hard to resist you. What I'm trying to say is, I really really like you a lot and I'm not sure what you're looking for exactly from me."

"Bella, the agreement aside, if I had asked you out at the diner that day would you have said yes?"

"No, I'm not looking for a relationship or casual dating right now. I don't know if I'm going to even be living here in six months. I couldn't start a relationship and involve Jake in that knowing that I would be leaving." Edward lifted her small feet up and set them on his lap. He tugged off each of her socks and began to massage the bottoms of her feet. Bella's eyes closed and she let her body relax.

"So it's a 'its not you its me' kind of thing?" Edward asked as he pressed his fingers into her foot.

"It's definitely not you; you have to understand that it's just not me I have to worry about. I have Jake to consider also," Bella let a small moan escape her lips as Edward's skilled fingers pressed into the heel of her foot. Her head rolled back and her back arched. Each touch and press of his fingers was stirring new sensations throughout her body.

"Do you remember the field trip in junior year, to the greenhouse?" Edward asked, bringing his knee up to rest on the cushion of the sofa. He turned his body to face her as he worked her foot over. Edward knew what he was doing. He had taken several reflexology classes in med school. He found it fascinating that you could touch a pressure point in one part of the body and have a different part of the body or brain react. It was one of the things that drew him to medicine and the human body.

"Uh huh you wore your jersey that day because you had a game after school," Bella remembered every time he wore that jersey it drove her hormones wild. It was the first day that she had went home and given in to her urges and pleasured herself under her covers thinking of him.

"Mike Newton asked you out near the buses, I almost punched him in the face for that, he knew that I liked you and that I was planning on asking you out," Edward pressed his fingers into her ankle and his palms into the bottoms of her feet. He watched her hands tighten around the cushion she was squeezing and he knew he had the right spot.

"You were?" she asked breathlessly.

"I had planned to ask you to come to the game and I was going to ask you after," Edward rubbed his thumb in a circular motion over the top of her foot and watched her body tense up and her limbs start to shake.

Bella couldn't respond she was breathing heavy and she could feel her orgasm approaching. Edward held her foot firmly as he pressed on her pressure point. Bella arched her back and her head pressed into the cushion on sofa. Her body began to shake and her limbs trembled as her orgasm took over her body. Bella leaned her face into the pillow to muffle the whimpers and screams from her mouth. Edward held her foot firmly pressing and massaging stretching out her orgasm. He watched her body quake and tremble. A sense of pride and satisfaction spread through him as he brought her pleasure. She was beautiful when she climaxed, her skin turned a lovely shade of pink and Edward longed to have her hand grasping and holding him like she had before. Bella's body began to relax and Edward took the opportunity to grasp her ankles and drag her body towards him.

He pulled her legs over the arm of the sofa and cradled her back holding her in his lap. Bella circled her arms around his neck and nuzzled her face against his jaw. Her breathing was erratic and she was trying to calm herself down so she could speak. Edward smoothed the hair away from her face and kissed her forehead lightly loving the way her skin felt against his lips.

"How did you do that?" Bella whispered against his neck. Edward chuckled lightly taking her hand in his and entwining their fingers.

"Reflexology class in med school," Edward pecked small kisses down Bella's face and stopped on her neck. He sucked lightly on her skin and swirled his tongue licking her freshly showered neck. Bella wiggled a little in his lap climbing farther up his body so she was resting completely on him.

Bella tilted his head so she could see his eyes. She studied him closely and closed her eyes. Bella brought her lips down to gently kiss him on his lips. It was sweet and gently. Bella swept her tongue across his lips. Edward opened his mouth to allow her access. They kissed lightly and softly nibbling each other's lips for what seemed like forever. Bella felt Edward's growing need underneath of her thighs as she sat on his lap. Edward's hands roamed up and down her sides searching for a spot to rest. He slid his right hand under her t-shirt and stroked her side and massaged the skin. She was soft and supple. Her skin was smooth and warm to his touch.

Edward's mind traveled back to high school when he first met her and she was tiny and petit. He remembered seeing her in her swimsuit during gym when the two classes had to share the indoor swimming pool. She was skinny and almost bony much like his older sister Alice. Now with his hands on her he could feel the flesh under his touch. She had filled in nicely and he enjoyed having soft supple skin to feel. Bella's body squirmed away from him slightly to allow him access to explore her body. Edward let his hand travel up her body slowly massaging and rubbing her flesh along the way. He hesitated when his fingers grazed the swell of her braless breast. Bella bit his lip gently and moaned into his mouth. She tugged her hands through his hair pulling his mouth closer. Edward moaned in response to her roughness and slid his hand up the fraction of an inch to cup her breast.

Her breast was full and heavy in his hand. They weren't hard or as firm as Tanya's and Edward enjoyed the natural feel of them as he squeezed gently and moved the flesh back and forth between his fingers. He brought his thumb up to circle her nipple. Bella's body trembled and she pushed her lips harder against his searching for his tongue. Bella took his tongue between her lips and swirled her tongue around his sucking it into her mouth.

Edward's mind flashed images of her doing that to other parts of his body. It took only a moment for his body to go rigid and his arms pull her tight against him. Edward's right hand held firmly on to Bella's breast as his body shook and his eyes closed. Edward broke the kiss and buried his face in Bella's neck letting out a throaty moan. He buried his mouth in her hair and neck to muffle the noise. Bella brought her hands up to smooth his now slightly damp hair from his face. She realized what had just happened and felt empowered to have caused such a reaction. She had never thought it possible for her to have this kind of an effect on a man. Edward's breathing evened out and he sat back to rest against the back of the sofa. Bella brought her hands up to lightly smooth his hair away from his face. She traced her fingers across his features. He was truly beautiful at this moment. His face was completely relaxed, not a sign of distress on him. His eyebrows were not creased together and his lips were not turned up into a smirk. He was soft and sweet looking. His eyes fluttered open and they met hers. He looked shy and insecure.

Bella smiled shyly at him and kissed the tip of his nose. A small smile spread on his lips while he held her gaze.

"Was that a bonus for both of us?" Bella asked quietly still stroking his face. Edward nodded his head.

"I should get going," Edward slid her off of his lap as he went to stand up. He needed to change and he wanted to get home. He felt embarrassed like a high school kid. She hadn't even touched him anywhere. Edward had only ever been with three women and he knew that Bella had been more experienced than him in high school. Now he was unsure of how experienced she was. He was extremely nervous and feared that she would reject him after what had just happened.

"Edward, yes," she gave him a kiss on his chin because that was all she could reach with him standing upright.

"Huh?" He looked puzzled and didn't understand what the yes was for.

"Yes, I'll go out on a date with you, no agreement just you, me and no alcohol. It has to be casual though no promises. And Edward, thank you for the foot massage."

"Thank you for the bonus Bella," He kissed her on her cheek and walked to his car with a little spring in his step and a squish in his boxer-briefs.

_**A/N: Reviews are almost as good as a bonus from Edward.**_


	7. Chapter 7

Rent-A-Life

REVIEW ANSWERS:

From: Guest

:Who doesn't eat for three days? Is she anorectic?

**ANSWER:** Bella was busy taking care of her father and Jake, she was running on coffee, snacking here and there as well as adrenaline and emotions. It was only three days. No Bella is not anorexic; she is just a busy single mom trying to juggle a father with cancer and an adolescent son.

From: jane (Guest)

jane:For me it doesn't matter who Jake's fatehr is. The point is he and Bella  
are forever connected. When you have a child together there is the unbreakable  
bond between the parents. You can divorce, break up, move to another country  
but you will never forget the mother of your child or the father of your  
child. The souls of parents are forever joined because they created the new  
life. Even if later they start to hate each other it doesn't matter. There is  
no way of erasing their relationship. The child is the reminder. He is a piece  
of mother and father, their creation. Piece of Bella will forever belong to  
the father of her child, and piece of him will forever belong to her. Edward  
will never be her One and Only. He will share her with that unnamed man,  
Jake's father

**ANSWER:** Jake's father will make an appearance later in the story. For those of you who are guessing and simply can't wait any longer you can write a review and ask questions I'll be sure to answer them. But I would suggest waiting and reading the story. I know how it is reading a story and you just HAVE TO KNOW, so if you don't mind it ruining some of the story I'll answer your questions now.

Now that that is out of the way on to the chapter and hopefully a bonus.

Chapter 7

After Edward left that night Bella went up to her room with every intention of going to sleep. As she laid there in bed her mind kept wandering to his hands on her and the things his fingers could do. Bella wondered if all of the rumors in high school were true or if they were simply premonitions of things to come after he completed medical school. Who would have thought that you could give someone an orgasm from simply rubbing their feet? Bella's insides were aching for more and she debated climbing the chair in her closet to retrieve her new BOB (Battery Operated Boyfriend) from her closet shelf. Unfortunately her exhaustion won out and she drifted off to sleep replaying her foot massage over and over again.

The next week went by in a blue of working, school registration and doctors appointments. Bella was emotionally and physically exhausted. Edward had texted her to remind her of a barbeque that his parents were going to have at the end of the summer. Bella told him that she would be there but that their date schedule for the weekend prior had to be postponed. Bella and Jake were flying back to San Francisco to visit with friends and Bella had some loose ends to tie up with work. It was now Friday evening and Edward had stopped by to drop off an autographed high school newspaper for Jake. He had Emmett sign it and write a brief message to Jake. Edward signed it as well and wrote a brief shout out to his # 1 bud. Jake was excited and wanted to get it framed for his room. Bella found it adorable and asked where her autographed picture was. Edward blushed and promised to get her one of her own.

"Are you staying for dinner?" Bella asked him as he tossed the football back to Jake who was across the front lawn.

"Of course, I'll never turn down your home cooking," Edward beamed at her and winked his all-American wink.

"Alright then you guys have ten minutes and make sure he washes his hands," Bella pointed to Jake who had just tossed the ball into a puddle and picked it up.

"Sure thing," Edward replied turning to catch the ball.

After the table was set Charlie helped Bella make plates of Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, carrots and green beans. Edward took a seat in his normal spot after washing his hands. His head lifted to the air sniffing and turning left to right.

"It's cherry, now eat your dinner or you won't get any." Bella informed him of the pie flavor for the night as she noticed his interest in the aroma coming from the kitchen. Bella was well aware of Edward's pie fixation. She had also noticed that he gained a few pounds over the last few months. It was hard to believe that she had been back in contact with him for almost three months now. They had come so far from their first awkward moments.

"Edward, we're bringing our dog back with us, you're going to love him, he plays football and he can snore louder than pop," Jake talked through a mouth full of meatloaf.

"Jacob Marshall do not talk with your mouth full of food," Bella scolded. Jake's cheeks turned pink much like Bella's did when she was embarrassed.

"Sorry," He ducked his head and looked down at his plate pushing the mashed potatoes around.

"I hope to meet him some time, I've always wanted a dog but my brother and sister are allergic."

"Are you allergic too?" Jake inquired.

"No, just them, they got it from their mom's side," Edward took a bite of his food and moaned into the fork. It was delicious. He was falling in love with Bella's cooking each time he took a bite of something new she prepared.

"Esme isn't their mother?" Bella asked. Charlie looked towards Edward giving him a confident nod for him to continue. Charlie knew the tale of how Carlisle and Esme had met.

"No, She is my mother but their step mother, Their mother passed away about an hour after giving birth to Emmett, My mom was one of her friends and I guess the rest is history," Jake nodded in understanding.

"But she loves Emmett and Alice right?" Jake asked setting his fork down and giving Edward his full attention.

"Oh, yes absolutely, she was the one who took care of them after their mother passed away. My dad was a mess and I think Charlie can tell you better than I about what he went through. I'm just glad that my mom was there for him, because then I wouldn't be here."

"Yeah, you're right, so Emmett's your half brother?" Jake asked. "If I have a brother or sister they'll be a half right?"

"Yup pretty much, but family is family, it doesn't matter half or step we all love each other the same."

"I'm going to let you play with my dog; you can come to the park with us if you want. I can share him but mom won't let you take him overnight, she cuddles with him. She said that she doesn't need a man as long as she has him to keep her feet warm at night." Jake laughed at his mom and continued his dinner.

"Jacob stop gossiping and telling all of my secrets," Bella laughed and swatted her son's arm.

"Edward if you want secrets I've got better ones that Jake, you should come by this weekend while their away I have photo albums full of embarrassing stuff of both of them," Charlie tilts his beer in Edward's direction and gives him a nod. Bella just tosses her arms up in the air in defeat. She is surrounded by men out to embarrass her. There is no escaping it.

After dinner Charlie went to take a nap, Bella cleaned up the kitchen and started to prepare a casserole for her dad to heat up for the weekend. Jake asked Edward to help him with his laptop.

"Hey look, there you are, can we be Skype friends, I can call you from San Francisco this weekend and you can see Billy," Jake was excited about showing Edward his room and his dog. Jake had gotten used to Edward being around and he liked him. He felt comfortable talking to him like a friend. He being Emmett's brother was just icing on the cake.

"Here let me log into my account so I can ad you to my contacts and I can chat while I'm at work so I don't miss your call. What are you guys going to do this weekend?" Edward asked as his fingers flew across the keys on the laptop.

"Mom has to talk with the real estate guy who wants to buy her bakery and I'm going to a birthday party at my friend's house and I get to help mom set up at a festival to sell the mini pies and cupcakes. It's so fun, I get tips. I'm saving up to buy mom something for her birthday next month." Edward always enjoyed his conversations with Jake, they were very informative.

"When is her birthday exactly?" Edward asked.

"September 13th, mine is June 12th," Jake offered information like an encyclopedia.

"So you guys moved here right after your birthday?"

"Yup, I got a huge birthday party at the paintball place and we had a going away cookout it was awesome. I hope mom's friend remembered to give Billy his flea and heart medicine," Jake's mind wonders as he talks to Edward and then yells to his mom. "Mom, did Ms. Betsy give Billy his flea and heart stuff this month?"

"Yes Jake we called her Wednesday, remember?" Bella replies from the doorway.

"Well there ya go buddy we're all set up. Just click here and I'll pop up or you can leave me a message." Edward ruffled Jake's hair as he got up to use the restroom. When he came back Jake was Skyping with one of his friends back home and they were in an in-depth debate about college football.

"Would you like some coffee?" Bella asked him from the kitchen doorway. Edward followed her into the kitchen monitoring the sway of her hips as she walked. His mind traveled back to high school as he remembered watching those same hips that were much smaller and had less curves. He would always walk Bella to her next class after Biology. Edward would walk a few steps behind her so he could appreciate her snug jeans and how they hugged her tiny waist. Child bearing had caused Bella's body to change in many different ways. Edward remembered her blowing up over those eight months and finding another reason to dislike the baby growing inside of her and its father. But now looking at her curvy figure Edward saw an hourglass figure with a plump rear begging to be squeezed. Bella was still short and petite but she definitely had 'cushion for the pushing' as Emmett had put it when he described a woman with a fine ass.

"You okay?" Bella asked handing him his coffee.

"Huh, oh right yeah I'm fine," Edward shook his head a little to clear his mind.

"What were you thinking about just now?"

"Honestly, I was admiring how nicely you've grown up," Edward dips his head and feels his cheeks flush. He glances up through his lashes and sees Bella's cheeks turn the shade of pink that drives him wild.

"Thank you, you have filled in rather nicely as well, though I am quite worried about your pie intake as of lately."

"Quite worried huh? I wouldn't worry yourself over that; I'm getting my bike from parents tomorrow, so I can bike to get pie. It'll balance out now." Bella laughs at him and takes his hand gently in hers. She leads him outside to the screened in porch where there is a gliding loveseat. They both take a seat and sip their coffee staring out into the night.

Bella pulls her legs up and tucks them under her body. She leans her shoulder and head into Edward. Edward switches his coffee to his right hand and lifts his left to allow her room to snuggle.

"Tell me about your family, what you mentioned at dinner." Bella requests taking a sip from her cup.

"Well there's not that much to it really. My mother and Elizabeth, that's my dad's first wife, they were best friends. Mom had lost a baby early in her marriage and it tore them apart resulting in a divorce. Dad and Elizabeth lost a child after Alice was born. They bonded over that. When Elizabeth became pregnant with Emmett my mom was there for her every step of the way. Dad was working and providing for his family. My mom invested a lot into Elizabeth's pregnancy; she couldn't bear to see another tiny life lost. When Emmett was born my mom was in the hospital room and she was the first to hold him while the doctor's tried to save Elizabeth. Dad was sort of like a ghost or so I'm told. He shut down then. "Edward takes a drink of his coffee and looks out into the night breathing in the cool air. He tightens his arm around Bella and kisses the top of her head.

Bella brings her arm around his middle and hugs him tightly. "You don't have to go on if it's too difficult." Bella offers.

"No, it's alright, just trying to remember exactly what they told me. Mom moved into the house to care for Alice and Emmett while my dad kind of checked out so to speak. Your dad was a big help. Dad got to drinking a lot and Charlie drove him home more than once. Your mom came to help Esme to give her a break every once in a while. One night my dad took Esme out to dinner while your mom watched my brother and sister. They were celebrating my dad's 60 days sober. He was convinced that he was an alcoholic and went a little nuts with the AA meetings and stuff. One thing led to another and here I am. They got married a few months after I was born and somewhere along the way they fell in love."

"Do you think that they would have ended up together if you weren't born?" Bella asks.

"I hope so, I know that my father loves my mother, I see it in his eyes. I see the way she looks at him and I know that they love each other. I met mom's ex-husband a few years back he came to my dad for help with some medical condition. I'm not sure what it was but my mother and he talked and they found closure. He blamed my mother for losing the baby so long into the pregnancy. I think that's why she is so protective of me and puts a lot of her happiness into my happiness. Sometimes I feel like I'm disappointing her. You know? Like no matter what I do it won't be enough to make up for the child she lost and the joy he or she could have brought her. Does that make any sense?" Edward looked to Bella for a response but she was crying lightly and whipping her tears away swiftly.

"Oh god I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry," Edward set his coffee down and brought Bella into his arms. "Shh it's alright, don't cry shh."

"I'm so sorry, I just I know she loves you and you make her happy you shouldn't feel that way. All a mother wants for her son is for him to be happy. If you want to be a bachelor your whole life just tell her that's what you want and that's what makes you happy. I promise she won't be disappointed in you. She will love you no matter what." Bella's brings her hands up to cup Edward's face. She wipes away a tear that leaks from his eye.

"I want to find love and someone to share my life with. I want someone to kiss and hold at night. I want to keep someone's feet warm." Edwards's stares into Bella's tear soaked eyes and closes his realizing the confession he just said. He wants all of those things with her. He is caught off guard by soft, warm and salty lips gently pressing into his. Bella begins to pepper soft kisses on Edward's lips. She brings her body closer to his and he wraps his arms around her pulling her tightly against his body.

Bella brings her hands up to run her fingers through his hair. Their kisses grow firmer as she tugs gently on his hair to tilt his head. As his lips reach the right angle Bella slides her tongue between his lips and licks his plump bottom lip seeking entrance to his mouth. Edward opens his mouth sliding his tongue against hers. Their tongues swirl around one another and trace little circles on their lips. Belle feels her chest heaving and her breathing becoming ragged. Her stomach is flip flopping around and she can feel an ache start to form in the center of her body. Bella pulls away slightly and rests her forehead against Edward's. As they sit there still entwined in each other's arms with their foreheads pressed together their eyes open. Bella's eyes are laced with lust and longing for him. Edward's eyes are full of questions and searching for answers. Edward brings his hand up to wipe Bella's lips gently and then his own.

Bella bites her lip and settles her head back on Edward's shoulder where his arm has resumed its hold around her. As they sit there for a few minutes neither of them talking they enjoy the night air cooling down their bodies. Bella's hand is tracing small circles on the material on Edward's jeans where there is a little tear in the fabric on his knee.

"Will you tell me about Jake's dad?" Edward asks out of the blue.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything, whatever you are comfortable sharing."

"Um well I lived with my mom in Phoenix and she and Phil traveled a lot and I was home alone. I joined this peer tutoring thing at school to help with my college applications and I was paired up with a senior which I thought was weird seeing as how I was sophomore. But we got along ok he was kind of a big guy there were a lot of rumors about him getting in trouble and stuff like that. He was very sweet to me. He was kind of scary at first he wouldn't talk that much and I was shy so we kind of just sat there staring at each other." Bella nuzzled her head under Edward's chin and moved her arm around his waist. "Are you sure you want to hear about everything?"

"I'm a big boy, I can handle it, I want to know everything about you and Jake," Edward tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead.

"Well school let out early because of the heat and the air conditioning was broken. He offered to drive me home because mom and Phil were out of town. I accepted and invited him in for a soda. We watched a movie and I helped him with his homework. It was the first time we said more than four words to each other. I cooked chicken parmesan and he had seconds and thirds. I stared at him a long time trying to figure out if all of the rumors were true or not. So that's what we did, he would drive me home after school and I would make dinner, we would do homework or listen to music or watch a movie and then he would go home. I didn't understand where the rumors came from because he was always at my house. His grades got better and he actually made honor role. One Monday he missed school and I got worried. I didn't know where he lived so I asked around. I caught the bus to his neighborhood and I asked around and found his house. I was standing on the corner about to cross when a group of guys came up to me and started bothering me." Edward's arm tightened around Bella and his breath caught in his throat.

"No it's nothing like that stop, I'm ok nothing happened, Rob showed up and he took be back to his house. It was a small house that reeked of alcohol. He was really mad that I had tracked him down and once things calmed down we sat outside on his back steps I saw his face. It was swollen and black and blue. His father had beaten him up for something or other and he didn't want to come to school looking like that and for me to see him. While we were there his father came home and said awful things to him. He was large scary man. I could smell the whisky from across the room. He started shouting at me and calling me all sorts of names. I tried to stand strong I wanted to stand up to him for Rob's sake but I couldn't. I was afraid. Rob ran at his father and knocked him down. He grabbed my hand and we ran and ran until we got to his friends house. His car was there and we drove to my house. I told him to never go back and that he could stay here with me. We had a guest room and I couldn't let him go back to that. I just couldn't. Mom and Phil came home and found him there. My mom asked all sorts of embarrassing questions and I almost died right there. Phil didn't care he just wanted him to pay rent or contribute. Mom and Phil were only home for one month before they left again. Rob and I just sort of happened. One day I looked over and he was staring at me. I had never kissed a boy and I didn't know what to do. I could tell that something changed and I looked into his eyes one day and I just knew that I wanted more. It started out innocent with kisses here and there and holding hands. He got a job and I saw less of him. My mom and Phil paid the bills online and put money in an account for me to buy necessities and stuff. He told me he loved me and that he wanted to marry me. I told him that I loved him too but we were too young and that I wanted to go to culinary school. He said he would follow me anywhere and that we would make it work no matter what. I gave myself to him on our one year anniversary. We only did it twice after that and the third time the condom broke. We decided I should get on the pill so we stopped until I could get a doctor's appointment. It was too late. I was six weeks along when Rob got arrested. He was hanging out with a guy from work and he had some drugs on him in Rob's car. He had hid some under the seat and both of them got arrested. I didn't have the money to get him out. I called my dad. He came to Phoenix right away; I didn't tell him exactly what was wrong just that I needed him. I was crying and I didn't know what to do. We had only known we were pregnant for two days before he got arrested." Bella was crying now and Edward felt her physically shaking in his arms. He soothed her and brushed away her tears.

"Shh, Bella it's alright you don't have to keep going. You don't have to tell me."

"I want to, I want you to know, I wasn't some teenage slut sleeping around I was in love and we had a plan. I didn't mean for everything to get so messed up. Every time I look at Jake I know he's missing out on having a father and it's all my fault," Bella sobbed into Edward's arms.

"While he was in lock up there was a fight in the cafeteria and Rob was caught in the middle of it. I don't know exactly what happened but he killed two guys. He was found guilty and sentenced to two life sentences to ser consecutively. So far he has 35 more years left to spend in jail. He's in federal prison in San Francisco. We never got married. My dad packed me up and took back here to Forks. My mom didn't fight after she found out I was pregnant and I was devastated. We wrote letters back and forth for a while until it was too much to take. I was scared and alone and having a baby. My dad was my savior and I would have been on the streets if it weren't for him. I just wish that Jake got to know his dad. Rob doesn't want Jake to know about him, he's ashamed. I send him pictures twice a year and a letter updating him on Jake's life and his interests. Rob send back vague letters just asking questions. I went to visit him before we moved here. I went alone, I wouldn't bring Jake, he doesn't know that much. Rob is a different person; he's hard and cold now. He has had to do things in there that I don't want to know about and I know he's ashamed of but it's his life now and I understand he has to do what he needs to do to survive in there. I see him in Jake sometimes when he gets to laughing. He laughs like Rob and he's getting tall and broad like him. I don't regret having Jake. My father offered me an abortion if I wanted one but I couldn't do it. I almost considered it after I moved here."

"Bella would you have given him up for adoption?" Edward asked.

"No, I don't think I would have been able to do that. You actually talked me out of an abortion. We were dissecting the pig, well you were, and the table next to us had one and theirs had a sack inside. Mr. Banner told us it was a fetus. That got us talking about dead baby pigs and dissecting them then the abortion thing came up and you said 'I can't understand how someone would stop life when there are thousand out there struggling to create it or save it'. That night I went home and cried and knew that I could never end my pregnancy. I had life growing inside of me and I just couldn't do it. Dad understood and he said he was proud of me. He had stopped being mad at me by then. We had a rough couple of months." Bella sat up and wiped her eyes dry.

"That's it I guess. Did you want to know anything else?" Bella asked giving him a shy smile feeling very exposed.

"If he hadn't been arrested would you still be together?"

"I would like to think we would have lived happily ever after but that's not what happened. I would want Jake to know his father but that's not possible."

"I feel like a complete shit right now."

"What why?" Bella asked shocked that he would say something like that.

"In high school I hated him Jake's dad and I didn't too much care for the baby growing in your belly either. I was quite mad at you also. I met you and I had our entire life planned out. I would court you and we would fall in love go off to college together get married start a family and live happily ever after and then your stomach started to grow. I hated your stomach so much. I was so young and stupid. All I thought about was myself and how things affected me. I never once thought of what you must have been going through. God the way I treated you after I found out you must have hated me. I'm so sorry. I should have been a better friend to you. I should have helped you. We should have been together then. I shouldn't have let your pregnancy affect our future."

"Edward you were 17, in high school. Those were natural feelings to have. It wasn't your responsibility to take care of me and my baby. You didn't treat me bad at all. You carried my books for me and you held the door. You took me to the nurse and I remember you giving me a ride home when I was standing in the rain trying to figure out why the truck wouldn't start. Edward you were the best friend I had when I first got here."

"I don't remember any of that. I remember just cutting myself off from you. I might have given you a ride home but anyone would have done that, it was the decent thing to do."

"No Edward, not anyone did it, you did. I remember it because it was the moment I decided that you were the type of man I was going to find to be my baby's father. The type of man I wanted to spend my life with. I was rubbing my stomach and you kept glancing at it and you asked me what was wrong. I told you that I wanted ice cream and grape soda. You stopped by the convenient store and came back with a grape soda and a chocolate soft serve ice cream. Edward you were my idol back then."

"Okay, I may remember the soda part but not the ice-cream. I don't remember that part."

"That's because you're getting old and senile."

"So who is your idol now?"

"What? Oh um my dad and Jake," Bella smiled at Edward and he returned her smile.

"How long are you going to be gone?" Edward asked stroking Bella's knuckles.

"Four days and three nights, Why?"

"I'm going to miss you, Will you promise to call when you land?"

"Yes, I'll call. Will you promise me a bonus when I get back?"

"I'll give you one before you leave if you want," Edward wagged his eyebrows at Bella suggestively. He wiggled his fingers in her line of sight and watched her cheeks flare pink.

*******_**REVIEWS**_ ARE ALMOST AS GOOD AS A _**BONUS**_ FROM EDWARD *******


	8. Chapter 8

Rent-A-Life

**Chapter 8**

Bella and Jake's plane landed the next evening. Jake was bouncing nonstop through the airport. Bella couldn't help but laugh when she saw her friend Chris standing by the baggage claim holding a sign that said "SWAN". Chris is Jake's best friend Steve's dad. Bella greeted Chris with a friendly hug and smile.

"Hey sport how's the pops doing?" Chris asked Jake as he put his arm around him. The two were very close and Chris often thought of Jake as his second son.

"It's so awesome, I got to meet Emmett Cullen, did you know he still lives in Forks?" The drive back to Bella's house was filled with chatter about Emmett and Forks. Jake spilled everything from talks about football and pie to rain and Emmett. Chris gave Bella a knowing look as he answered another of Jake's questions. Chris was happy to see both Jake and Bella.

"So, how long are you in town for?" Chris asked Bella as he helped them carry their bags into the house.

"Just four days, I have to get back to work and Charlie has a doctor's appointment next week. Thanks for picking us up, did you and Steve want to join us for dinner?" Bella invited her parent friend and his son for dinner. Jake had been pestering her, the entire flight for his friend to sleep over.

"Have you ever known me to pass up a home cooked meal? We've been living on microwave and take out since you left." Chris gave Bella a sad smile. His wife and he had recently finalized their divorce. His ex-wife was getting remarried and opted to take her son only in the summer. It broke Bella's heart to see their family ripped apart. Chris and Sharon had always been so nice to Bella and helped her when she needed a babysitter for Jake.

"How are you doing? Have you been getting out of the house?" Bella knew that he had taken his divorce pretty hard. Bella had no idea that Sharon had been having an affair for the past year and Chris tried to turn a blind eye for the sake of his son.

"It's better now that she's not here all the time and he doesn't have to go back and forth. They talk on the phone and he seems alright with it. I have him talking to the counselor at school and she said he's adjusting rather well considering."

"I asked how you were doing."

"Right, I'll be doing a lot better if you let me bring a bottle of wine for dinner." Bella gave him a nod remembering their wine filled nights while the kids played video games or watched a gory movie. They would sit out on the front porch and watch the traffic and talk for hours about everything from parenting to work. He was one of Bella's closest friends here.

"Well be here by six, I'm off to pick up Billy, I've missed him so much you have no idea."

"We saw him at the park last week with Betsy, She was using him to pick up guys it was hilarious until he knocked her down chasing after a squirrel."

"I'll see you at six; you look good by the way, less stressed and more relaxed." Bella blushed at his comment. She could only think of two reasons why she looked more relaxed and both of those had to do with a certain doctor's fingers.

A few hours later Bella was preparing dinner while Jake and Steve were up in Jake's room Skyping with Sam from Forks. The kids were obsessed with carrying the laptop around and showing everything to the other. Chris was pealing carrots and sipping wine while Bella fluttered around the kitchen.

"Just give him one or he's won't leave you alone," Bella told Chris. Billy was sitting next to him whining for a piece of whatever was up on the counter. Chris dropped a small carrot on the floor for the dog to gobble up. The boys came down carrying the laptop and set it at the table for dinner. Sam was going to eat his dinner at his laptop and it would be like he was there with them.

"Sam, how is Forks since we left?" Bell asked the laptop that held a picture of Same sipping his soda.

"It's raining Ms. Swan," Sam replied smiling brightly.

"Well I would expect nothing less."

"Doctor Edward was at soccer camp this morning with Emmett," Sam informed them. The mention of Edward turned Bella's cheeks pink as she listened to the boys chatter to the laptop about Emmett once again.

"So I hear that you have actually met Emmett in person. That makes you famous by one degree of separation," Chris teased Bella about the boy's hero worship of Emmett.

"I was lab partners in high school with his little brother Doctor Edward. Jake got to meet him and get an autograph. It's getting out of hand. He only played one year of pro ball before he quit and moved back to Forks. I don't get what the big deal is." Bella couldn't understand the big deal.

"Bella, it's a guy thing. The guy has a Super Bowl ring. He may have only played one year but the team took the Super Bowl that year thanks to him. I'd like to meet the guy myself," Chris replied and then took a bite of his steak.

"If you ever come to Forks to visit I will be more than happy to introduce you," Bella offered.

"This is delicious. I'm going to have to have you cook up some stuff for Steve and me before you go back," Chris requested. Bella nodded in agreement. She felt bad for the newly single father who worked long hours as a fireman.

After dinner the boys went upstairs to eat popcorn and watch a movie with Sam next to them. It was a little ridiculous that they were carrying around the laptop like it was a person but it was harmless and Sam's mom kept popping in the screen shot to say hi.

Bella and Chris popped the wine and sat at the dining room table to play a game of cards. It was a brisk windy night and Bella was tired of the rain in Forks and now in San Francisco. She thought that maybe she had brought it with her.

Chris won a couple games and Bella began to think he was cheating. Bella refilled their glasses and got another deck of cards out.

"I wasn't cheating I swear, but we can use a fresh deck if you think it'll help your chances."

After the movie Jake came down to plug in his laptop and set it on the dining room table. Jake went back upstairs with his friend and they started playing video games.

Back in Forks Edward sat at his computer chatting with Jake and Steve about Emmett. Edward was at work and it was pretty slow. He was stuck on the night shift and was just sitting in his office doing paperwork. Edward excused himself to use the restroom and when he came back to the screen he saw a dining room table with Bella and a man playing cards and drinking wine. By the position of the laptop and the room Edward deciphered that Jake had left the camera flipped from when he was walking through the upstairs giving Edward a tour. Edward tried to wave his hand around until he realized that the screen wasn't facing Bella. He sat down to get his phone out to call her and tell her about the laptop being left on. He froze when he saw the guy lean in to take Bella's hand. Edward sat down at his chair with his finger hovering over the send button. He turned up the volume so he could hear what was going on.

"I've missed you since you've been gone," Chris took Bella's hand and gently rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. Edward could see the blush tint her cheeks and he knocked his soda over and said shit. Bella turned her head back and forth.

"What was that? Did you hear that?" Bella asked Chris.

"I didn't hear anything," Chris looked longingly at Bella as she took a sip of her wine.

"Bella, I know when you left I said some things and you said you needed time to think. I still feel the same, I still want to be with you. I want all of us to be a family," Chris gestured his hand to the ceiling to indicate both the boys upstairs.

Edward wipes his soda up and hit the mute button on the laptop to cut off the microphone from his end. He sat staring at the screen with his ears strained to see what her answer would be. He felt wrong for eavesdropping and he didn't care at all. He wanted to climb through the screen and punch that guy whoever he was in the face for trying to steal his girl.

"I know and my dad is sick and I just don't know," Bella looked torn and confused.

Edward held his phone tightly as he thought of an idea. She had texted him when she landed and he had yet to text her back. He had an idea and he knew it was a dirty thing to do while she was having this conversation with that guy but he had to make sure she knew she had options.

Bella was confused and very uncomfortable sitting here with Chris. He was bringing up all of the things she didn't want to talk about. He was her friend who not ten months ago was happily married and in love with his wife. Her phone buzzed and she glanced at a text message from Edward.

_**Glad you're safe, keeping my fingers in shape for your return bonus ;)**_

Bella couldn't help the smile and blush that spread across her face. She tucked her phone back in her pocket and sipped her wine shyly avoiding Chris' stare.

"You've met someone haven't you?" Chris asked, his face falling in defeat.

"More like getting reacquainted," Bella replied shyly. "I didn't plan it at all it just sort of happened. I actually tried to avoid it."

"Tell me about him. I'd like to know who's stolen you away from me."

"You never had me," Bella returned his sly smile and once again new that her friend was back.

"I was on my way though you have to admit, I had some pretty good game," Bella laughed at him.

"He's Emmett's brother and a Doctor at the hospital; he was my lab partner from high school Bio."

"Did you two date in school?"

"No I was knocked up and huge back then, I couldn't get a date," Bella joked.

"I would have snagged you up back then if I had known you."

"You would not have, you were married and old, I would have laughed in your face."

"I'm still old but not married."

"Well you'll find someone when the time is right."

"I thought I did but she ran off to Forks and found herself a Doctor. He's one of those pretty boys isn't he? I bet he has gelled hair and wears a suit and tie to work," Chris teased.

Edward gave the laptop screen the F U finger and glared at the older larger man on the screen. He had salt and pepper hair and looked like George Clooney on steroids.

"I don't think hair gel could tame his hair even if he wore it. He wears scrubs and sneakers," Bella defended Edward to Chris. Just thinking of him made her entire body swoon and want to be close to him.

"Did you two? Bella you're serious about this guy aren't you?" Chris gestured with his hands and fingers indicating sex. Bella blushed brightly and opened her mouth in shock.

"That's private and none of your business. Yes, I've loved him since high school. Every date I've been on which isn't many, I've been searching for him. I'm scared to death but I'm taking a chance."

"Oh come on give me something here, It's been almost a year since I've had any, at least let me live vicariously through you."

"So you want to have sex with Edward vicariously through me?" Bella quirked her eyebrow at him and laughed.

"You know what I mean, No woman swoons the way you just did at a text message if she isn't getting something worth swooning over. He's got a Ron Jeremy doesn't he? I didn't stand a chance."

"I wouldn't know, but he has other attributing qualities that I enjoy." Bella stood to put their glasses in the sink and left the room.

Edward watched as Chris's body leaned to follow the sway of Bella's rear. Edward felt his phone vibrate and glanced down to a text from Bella.

_**I miss you, I quit, We're moving to Forks**_

Edward was confused by her message. He panicked and quickly called her. He thought that she was breaking everything off with him. She had quite, but she had said she missed him and was moving to Forks. He had to know what she meant exactly.

"Hey, you didn't have to call so late," Bella answered her phone grinning.

"I needed to hear your voice. What do you mean you quit and I miss you also, who's moving and when?" Edwards's questions came out in a rush demanding information.

"I quite, no more agreement, no more paying me, no more lying to your mom, for real dating, I have an offer to buy my bakery and I'm calling my realtor tomorrow to list my house. Jake and I are moving to Forks permanently." Bella waited breathless for his response hoping she wasn't putting herself out there only to be turned down.

"I didn't know you owned a bakery," Edward replied.

"I do and I had an offer for it last year and the guy is still interested. I'm going to meet with him tomorrow. Did you mean what you said about us?" Bella asked.

"Which part?" He asked. Edward was watching the computer screen carefully as he talked to Bella. Her male friend was still sitting in the chair at the dining room table and he was checking his breath and messing with his hair. Edward was not pleased that he was still there. He had half a mind to jump on a plane and kick the guy out himself.

"The part about wanting to start something real and seeing where things led."

"Absolutely, I thought that we already had started something real. Bella there wasn't a moment over the past three months that I haven't been real with you. Every touch and every kiss came from my heart."

"Oh, I'll see you in a few days then, I'll call you tomorrow goodnight."

"Goodnight Bella," Edward hung up the phone and sat back at his computer to see what happened next.

Bella came back into the dining room sliding her phone in her pocket. She took her seat back at the table and smiled at Chris. Chris took her hand again and gazed into her eyes. He had a lazy smile and was giving her his best penetrating stare.

"Chris, what are you doing? I thought we talked about this," Bella slid her hand out of his grasp and set it on her lap.

"Bella, give me one date, that's all I'm asking is a chance to show you how I feel and what you would be missing out on. You have to know how much I want you. I've read the drunken texts and I know you're too good of a person to bring them up but I meant every word of them. You are the kindest, sweetest, sexiest woman I've ever had the pleasure of spending time with. I've missed you so much since you've been gone. I want to be with you. Let me show you how much I care for you."

Chris swiftly rose from his chair and leaned down to capture Bella's lips with his own. He placed his hand on the nape of her neck and tilted her head up. Bella was too shocked to respond. Chris tasted like sweet wine. His prickly beard tickled her cheeks as his lips pressed into hers. His tongue swept across her lips seeking acceptance. Bella's body reacted against her heart and reached her hand up to cup his face. Her mouth opened and her tongue licked lightly at his lips. Her head felt light and dizzy. Bella stood up out of her chair and Chris stood as well bring their kiss with them. Chris slid his arm around Bella's waist and pulled her body flush against his. The feel of his bulky, muscled body against hers brought Bella's mind out of it's haze. She broke the kiss and pressed her hands against his chest pushing him away. Bella took a step back as Chris stepped away from her. The two of them stared at each other catching their breath.

Bella closed her eyes and shook her head back and forth. Her hands were in tight fists and punching in the air like a child. Bella's eyebrows creased with anger as her face turned a bright red. Her nostrils flared and her lips turned into a tight line.

"NO!" she yelled. "I said no, how could you? Why would you do that? You were my friend, I trusted you, Why did you have to ruin that? I'll bring Steve home before we leave just get out."

Chris hung his head and turned to leave after giving Bella a sad smile. Edward watched and tried to recover from what he had just seen. He was livid and the pen he was holding broke in half from his firm grip. He wiped away the ink and tossed the pen in the trash. Edward watched as Bella sank down into her chair and folded her hands on the table and cried. Hearing her sobs was breaking his heart. He wanted to go to her, to hold her. He hated seeing her like this. It was clear to him that Bella valued their friendship and this guy Chris had ruined that friendship and misused the trust that Bella had placed in him.

Bella took both of the boys with her to walk down the street to her neighbor Betsy's house to retrieve her dog. She needed his big clumsy body to cuddle with tonight. When Billy saw Bella and Jake he ran and spun in circles unable to sit still and let his owners pet him long enough to enjoy it. He almost piddled on the floor but was leashed and out the door in no time.

The next morning Jake and Steve came down for breakfast and bounced around the house full of excitement. Bella had prepared a large breakfast for her to helpers. The boys took Billy outside in the backyard to play while Bella baked a few things and went through some old mail. The day progressed and she caught up with some friends who stopped by to visit and chat for a while. The real-estate agent came by to meet with Bella when Jake and Steve went to the movies with their friend Scott and his older brother Mark. Bella put Billy outside with a huge bone to keep him quiet.

"Bella, I'm happy that you called and are considering my offer," Victor James the realtor said.

"It was a good offer, however I wasn't in the market to sell a year ago," Bella set his coffee down in front of him and offered him some homemade cookies and cakes.

"Ahh, these are the reasons we're here today. It took one visit to your bakery and I knew I had to be in on that goldmine. I took the liberty of adjusting the price considering that you're revenue has grown along with updates. I see you've added a catering aspect as well."

"Yes, it's grown quite a bit; I did have a few questions about after the sale. I have a solid staff that have been running things on a day to day basis for the past few months. I'd like to know your plans after the sale is complete. Are you going to start over or keep the current staff?" Bella inquired taking a sip of her coffee.

"Well I assumed that you would want to stay on and keep running things. I am not one to disrupt a successful business. If it's not broken I will not try and fix it."

"Oh, I am moving out of state. I'm not interested in staying on. I'm prepared to sell and offer the training and staff but I personally will not be staying."

"Hmm. That does make a difference. I had hoped to work closely with you in this venture. If it's not too intrusive what has you moving out of state? It's not another business opportunity is it? If so I'll match it and then some."

"No, it's not business related, my father is sick and I am moving to care for him."

"Offer your father my best wishes in his recover if it is possible. Is this a permanent move or are you able to return after some time?"

"It's permanent; I understand if you're not interested now, I have another offer for a partnership that I can consider."

"Oh, no, no I'm still interested it's just not my optimum plan. I will have to discuss this with my partner but I'm quite certain that we can come to an agreement. How long will you be in town?"

"We are here for another 3 days. I also wanted to speak with you about my house. I wasn't sure if you strictly dealt with commercial or if you did residential as well. I'm looking to sell this house as well," Bella gestured around to her cozy home.

"Hmm, I have an associate who would love this actually, this is a very sought after neighborhood. Let me get back to the office and make some calls. I'll contact you as soon as I hear back. I am sad to see you go I was looking forward to working with you."

Bella got up to escort Victor to the door. He was very sophisticated. Bella felt very formal around him. He was tall and handsome. He was dressed nicely and had strong angular features. As she glanced at him closely he reminded her of the character from her book. Bella could see his Grey tendencies in the way he carried himself and held his briefcase. Bella wondered if he held a riding crop in his briefcase. Her cheeks blushed at the thought as she reached the door. Bella extended her hand for him to shake.

Victor delicately held Bella's hand in his and brought it up to his lips to kiss lightly. He gazed into her eyes and smiled at her shocked face.

"On a more personal note Ms. Swan I was hoping that you would join me for dinner tomorrow evening," Victor released her hand and let his eyes bore into hers.

Bella couldn't help but nibble on her lip. She hadn't had this many propositions in this short amount of time in her entire life. Was there something about her that she was giving off that said I'm available and looking for love? First it was Chris right before she moved to Forks, then it was Edward in Forks and now standing here in front of her this real estate mogul was asking her for dinner.

"I would love to accept but I must decline. I would hate to mix business with pleasure and have one or both suffer."

"Ah, I see, you're heart is with another?" Bella blushed scarlet at the thought of Edward holding her heart. She nodded her head shyly and gave Victor a smile.

"Is this man part of your reason for moving and selling away your life here?"

"Absolutely not, I would not make a life changing decision like that for some man," Bella spat out feeling enraged that he would think she would uproot everything for a man. She had worked damned hard to build her life here. It only took a split second for her heart to ache and for her to grow angry at herself. Was she doing this for Edward? Was she doing this because Jake wanted to move to Forks or was it for her father?

"My apologies If I have upset you, however if he is just some man, than surely you can spare one evening for just dinner with another?" Victor raised his eyebrow in question challenging her.

"Alright, I will have dinner with you, as long as you understand that my heart is taken." Bella accepted his dinner invitation. It was only one night at dinner. It wasn't as if she was going to fall in love with him and forget about Edward. She would be leaving in a few days and one dinner would mean nothing.

"Ms. Swan, your heart is spoken for, I understand, I will go into this with no expectations other than a pleasant evening with a beautiful woman," Victor kissed her hand again and got into his town car as his driver sped away.

*******_**REVIEWS**_ ARE ALMOST AS GOOD AS A _**BONUS**_ FROM EDWARD *******


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